back order

¹ American  

noun

1. Commerce. an order or part of an order waiting to be filled.

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back-order ² American  

[bak-awr-der] / ˈbækˌɔr dər /

verb (used with object)

1. to treat as a back order.

   We have to back-order your sofa until the new fabric arrives.

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back order Idioms  

1. An item not currently in stock but to be sold or delivered when it becomes available, as in We don't have the shoes in white, but we can make them a back order. The verb back-order means “to obtain such an item,” as in The furniture store is going to back-order the sofa for us.

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Example Sentences

But with big turbines on back order for years, data-center players will take whatever they can get their hands on.

From Barron's • Nov. 13, 2025

When this story was published Friday, the total was approaching $2.2 million and the shirts were available on back order only.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 17, 2025

I noticed that the green hearing aids I went for were on back order, while the bland brigade of other offerings were all immediately available.

From Slate • Oct. 20, 2024

Stalin in 1942 issued Order No. 227 which became known as the "Not a step back" order.

From Reuters • Jan. 3, 2023

Then she would go back finally and order it, but only if it was on back order and wouldn’t be shipped immediately.

From "Feed" by M.T. Anderson