was behind schedule

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "was behind schedule" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to indicate that a project or task is not progressing as planned and is delayed. Example: "The construction project was behind schedule due to unexpected weather conditions."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Wiki

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

In a blog post on November 26th Ms Wojcicki defended the quality of her company's products but admitted that it was "behind schedule" in its response to the FDA.

The Economist

But there are some positive signs at Vinalines: Of 9.3 trillion dong of short-term loans and 33.83 trillion dong of long-term debt, only about 207 billion dong was "behind schedule," the government said.

The New York Times

The shoot was behind schedule.

The New York Times

SANTO LOQUASTO was behind schedule.

The New York Times - Arts

Fund-raising was behind schedule.

The New York Times

The program was behind schedule, over budget, and "unachievable".

The New Yorker

Time and money were both concerns, the two representatives wrote, because the well was behind schedule.

The New York Times - Science

Time and money were both concerns, the House chairmen wrote, because the well was behind schedule.

The New York Times

In the first quarter, Deutsche was behind schedule with this year's plan.

The New York Times

Still, when the guests began to arrive, the pasta was behind schedule.

The New York Times - Food

Rudd faced questions today about why the rollout was behind schedule.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Pair the phrase with a specific cause (e.g. "due to bad weather") to provide immediate context for the delay.

Common error

Writers sometimes use the phrase "was behind schedule in time", which is redundant because a schedule is by definition a temporal plan. Stick to the concise "was behind schedule" or specify the amount of time, such as "was two weeks behind schedule".

How to use

Learn how to use "was behind schedule" with practical examples and tips.

How to use

Linguistic Context

The phrase "was behind schedule" acts as a stative description in the past tense. It utilizes the linking verb "was" to attribute the quality of being delayed (the prepositional phrase "behind schedule") to a subject. Ludwig AI confirms this is a standard construction used to report on the status of a project, event or individual.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

55%

Formal & Business

25%

Wiki

15%

Less common in

Science

3%

Reference

1%

Social Media

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "was behind schedule" is an essential component of English writing when discussing time management and project status. Based on the analysis of dozens of high-quality examples from Ludwig, the phrase is most frequently used in journalistic and business writing to describe everything from infrastructure projects to political campaigns. It is grammatically robust and conveys a clear sense of deviation from a plan. Whether you are writing a news report, a corporate update or a historical summary, "was behind schedule" remains the standard choice for articulating that progress is not meeting its temporal targets. Its versatility across different registers—from the formal reporting of The New York Times to the descriptive narratives in The New Yorker—demonstrates its reliability as a professional linguistic tool.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

was delayed

More general and direct, focusing on the event of the delay itself.

had fallen behind schedule

Uses the past perfect to emphasize that the delay occurred before a specific past point.

was running late

Slightly more informal and often used for active processes or transport.

was off schedule

A simpler variation that describes the state of not being on time.

fell behind the timeline

More professional and emphasizes a gradual deviation from a plan.

was not on track

A more modern, corporate way to describe a failure to meet expectations.

lagged behind the project plan

Specific to project management, suggesting a lack of speed or momentum.

missed its deadline

Focuses on the outcome of missing a specific cutoff point rather than the ongoing process.

overran its deadline

Implies that the time limit was exceeded while the work continued.

was trailing the projected path

Highly formal and analytical, common in corporate or economic reporting.

FAQs

How do I use "was behind schedule" in a sentence?

You can use it to describe a project or person that is late. For example, "The renovation project "was behind schedule" because of supply chain issues."

What is a professional alternative to "was behind schedule"?

In a corporate environment, you might use "fell behind the timeline" or "encountered delays" to sound more formal.

Is it "behind schedule" or "behind of schedule"?

The correct idiom is always "behind schedule". You should never include the word "of" between "behind" and "schedule".

What's the difference between "was behind schedule" and "was running late"?

While "was running late" is often used for people or transport in motion, "was behind schedule" specifically refers to a failure to meet a pre-determined plan or deadline.