fall behind
Britishverb
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to drop back; fail to keep up
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to be in arrears, as with a payment
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Also, get behind.
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Lag, fail to keep up, as in You really must keep up with the others; if you fall behind you could get lost . [First half of 1500s]
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Be financially in arrears, as in He fell behind in his payments . [Mid-1800s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Kyle Chan, an expert on China at the Brookings Institution, said China appears increasingly willing to discuss an agreement as it appears to fall behind its U.S. competitors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
"Any lab that doesn't focus on alignment will fall behind," he said.
From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026
The CMS has the power to try to recover arrears if parents fall behind with payments.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
All of those changes have consumer advocates concerned that more borrowers could fall behind on their payments, amid confusion over which plans they’re eligible for and which ones make the most sense for them financially.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 18, 2026
Kim pulls at my arm and gestures for me to hurry as I begin to fall behind.
From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
