in arrears

Idioms  

1. Late or behind, especially in payment of money. For example, He's been in arrears on his rent so often that he may be evicted. [First half of 1600s]

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

in arrears

Supporters witnessed arguably the worst first half of Alonso's short tenure to date, with Chelsea fortunate not to be further in arrears after the head coach made nine changes to his line-up.

From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026

Her GB team-mate Jade O'Dowda sat 13th, 491 points in arrears of the pace-setting Ireland athlete.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

Social Security’s cost-of-living adjustments are made a year in arrears, so if your costs rose this year, your Social Security payments wouldn’t go up in response until 2027.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 8, 2026

In Canada, a mortgage is considered in arrears when payments are overdue by 90 days.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 25, 2026

The pews were decrepit, the bills were once so in arrears the electricity was nearly turned off, and the padre hadn’t installed air-conditioning, despite summer temperatures that reach 120 degrees.

From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario

Related Words

• expected
• outstanding
• overdue
• owed
• payable
• scheduled