In this paper, robust adaptive control is presented for a class of parametric-strict-feedback nonlinear systems with unknown time delays. Using appropriate Lyapunov-Krasovskii functionals, the uncertainties of unknown time delays are compensated for. Controller singularity problems are solved by employing practical robust control and regrouping unknown parameters. By using differentiable approximation, backstepping design can be carried out for a class of nonlinear systems in strict-feedback form. It is proved that the proposed systematic backstepping design method is able to guarantee global uniform ultimate boundedness of all the signals in the closed-loop system and the tracking error is proven to converge to a small neighborhood of the origin. Simulation results are provided to show the effectiveness of the proposed approach. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.