fall behind

verb

1. to drop back; fail to keep up

2. to be in arrears, as with a payment

Idioms and Phrases

Also, get behind.

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]

Be financially in arrears, as in He fell behind in his payments . [Mid-1800s]

Example Sentences

Winless so far this season, Verona fell behind in the 16th minute when Inter's Piotr Zielinski produced a moment of magic.

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“It’s just very competitive. If you don’t have an immediate passion, and you don’t think about this from an early age, you can kind of fall behind.”

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The stocks of companies that invested the most no longer fell behind those of stingier companies, but didn’t beat them by much either.

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He said he sees no risk of Japan falling behind the policy curve, suggesting the BOJ is in no rush to tighten policy settings.

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Those whose cultures don’t emphasize these things tend to fall behind.

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Related Words

• chase 
• falter 
• lag 
• pull