How to Use tardy in a Sentence

tardy

adjective
  • She was tardy to work.
  • They were tardy in filing the application.
  • By the main course, most tardy guests have managed to arrive, but not all.
    — Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 4 May 2026
  • When the players meet up for their weekly meal on Thursdays, Jones is always tardy.
    — James Boyd, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025
  • But unlike a premiere, live television doesn’t wait for the tardy A-lister to start.
    — ABC News, 15 Mar. 2026
  • But unlike a premiere, live television doesn’t wait for the tardy A-lister to start.
    — Lindsey Bahr, Chicago Tribune, 16 Mar. 2026
  • Gabby Windey says Peacock is tardy on the prize money, and Rob Rausch agrees.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 12 Mar. 2026
  • Teachers accepted tardy excuses from parents of students stuck in gas lines.
    — Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
  • But all these developments have been relatively tardy.
    — Michael Cox, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
  • During one confessional, the model gave Zverev grief for always being tardy.
    — Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 7 June 2026
  • If a filer forgoes an extension and files late, the person risks additional fees for the tardy submission.
    — Max Zahn, ABC News, 28 Jan. 2026
  • And then this girl, who ran to school on Wednesday in excitement and to avoid a tardy slip, realizes the shooter has taken something from her.
    — Shimon Prokupecz, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2025
  • These issues are far more pronounced for young professionals who don’t have the luxury or goodwill to be habitually tardy to work.
    — Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 11 Mar. 2026
  • McDaniel has said players have not been tardy to regular meetings involving coaches — something that was a problem last season.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 13 Oct. 2025
  • Tyreek Hill, who was reportedly tardy at times last season, has spoken of needing to do everything correctly and setting a good example.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 5 Aug. 2025
  • But Bob is historically tardy and his research and prep work is historically always pretty lacking.
    — Outside Online, 25 Feb. 2026
  • Students who missed a class while participating were cited as being absent or tardy, U-46 officials said.
    — Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
  • And now that the Biden-era law requiring airlines to compensate passengers for extensive flight delays has been withdrawn, tardy departures can be even more frustrating.
    — Lydia Price, Travel + Leisure, 15 Dec. 2025
  • Machado, who was shifted over and essentially playing in the shortstop position, fielded the ball and diverted his route to go put a tag on Hoerner before making a tardy throw to first base.
    — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 June 2026
  • Kim Zolciak-Biermann's second daughter wasn't tardy for her party — her romantic photoshoto was practically the main event.
    — Lindy Segal, PEOPLE, 25 Apr. 2026
  • The only previous disciplinary action against Vagovic concerned his tardy response to the Bar concerning this complaint earlier this year.
    — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2025
  • The North College Hill City School District said an average of 120 high schoolers are arriving tardy.
    — Grace Tucker, Cincinnati Enquirer, 9 Sep. 2025
  • When Noble reopened after the pandemic abated, tardy rates soared, staff satisfaction plummeted, and violence on campus, previously rare, spiked.
    — Steven F. Wilson, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2026
  • Justice Amy Coney Barrett, writing for the 5-4 majority, wrote that federal election statutes -- which say nothing about ballot receipt -- do not override states' ability to set their own policies for handling tardy votes by mail.
    — Devin Dwyer, ABC News, 29 June 2026
  • Xander Roker and Kirf Olander, San Diegans by way of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, respectively, were tardy to the party, but had no complaints about paying twice face price for the privilege.
    — Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
  • And speaking of interesting postgame tactics, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa called out teammates for not attending players-only meetings and for being generally tardy.
    — Chris Bumbaca, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025
  • The likes of tardy tax refunds at the IRS, super-slow disability resolutions at the SSA, and long phone hold times at both agencies are among the most prominent failings that prod so many Americans into believing that government doesn’t work.
    — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 31 Jan. 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tardy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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