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Synonyms

fall behind

British  

verb

  1. to drop back; fail to keep up

  2. to be in arrears, as with a payment

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
fall behind Idioms  

  1. Also, get behind.

  2. 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]

  3. 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.

At the company level, “I think it’s driving people to not want to fall behind even though they don’t know how far behind they are,” Weedbrook said.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

Rhondda Cynon Taf council said it was "actively looking at a range of ways to engage earlier with residents who fall behind with payments" including an informal text messaging service.

From BBC • Mar. 15, 2026

In the Super Bowl, the Seahawks gave up a 75-yard touchdown run to Pittsburgh Steelers running back Willie Parker to fall behind 14-3 early in the third quarter.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 8, 2026

As luxury spending slowed in 2023, Saks started to fall behind on payments to suppliers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 15, 2026

“It isn’t fair—but you can’t fall behind since you only just began. I want you to go.”

From "Amal Unbound" by Aisha Saeed

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.