bring up the rear

Idioms  

1. Be last in a line or sequence, as in As a slow walker, I'm used to bringing up the rear, or In test results Tom always brought up the rear. This term almost certainly came from the military but the earliest citation given by the Oxford English Dictionary is from a 1643 religious treatise by Sir Thomas Browne: “My desires onely are . . . to be but the last man, and bring up the Rere in Heaven.”

---

Example Sentences

The counties with the highest death rates bring up the rear in getting vaccinated.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 12, 2022

Then there’s average household income, where West Virginia, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana and New Mexico bring up the rear.

From Washington Times • Jun. 24, 2020

Raw seafood preparations head the lineup, and a couple of composed platters bring up the rear.

From Washington Post • Jan. 14, 2020

Lina leads off, Jay follows, and I bring up the rear.

From The New Yorker • May 23, 2019

Besides, I can do a lot more damage with a sheath of arrows than she can with two axes, so I'm the best one to bring up the rear.

From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins

Related Words

• chase
• fall behind
• falter
• lag
• pull