fall behind

phrase

Definition of fall behindnext
as in delay
to move or act slowly He lost his footing and fell behind in the relay.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fall behind The billionaire Wall Street leader said that employers who stick behind remote schedules are falling behind—and young workers in particular could be left in the dust. — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 30 June 2026 Despite the full lineup and passionate patriotic crowd in Seattle, Team USA looked uncomfortable from the start, fell behind early, made sloppy mistakes and could not keep up with the Belgians, who move on to face Spain in the quarterfinals. — Miami Herald, 7 July 2026 Countries are scrambling not to fall behind in AI — and French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are leading a personal charm offensives to court tech CEOs. — Kai Nicol-Schwarz,priyanka Salve, CNBC, 4 July 2026 The update indicated that Maersk is set to fall behind CMA CGM for second-largest container shipping capacity worldwide by July 2027, while Hapag-Lloyd could be usurped by Ocean Network Express (ONE) in February 2028. — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 6 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for fall behind

Browse Nearby Words

fall back on
fall behind
fall down
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fall behind.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fall%20behind. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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