fall behind

VERB

trail

Synonyms

STRONGEST

chase falter lag pull

STRONG

dally dangle dawdle delay dog drag draggle draw droop extend flag halt hang haul hunt linger loiter plod poke procrastinate pursue shadow shag spook spoor stalk straggle stream tail tarry tow trace track traipse trudge

WEAK

bedog bring up the rear drop back fall back follow a scent hang back hang down nose out poke along string along tag along take out after

Antonyms

STRONG

advance carry on complete finish forward go hasten hurry ignore leave leave alone let go push rise run away rush shorten speed stop tiptoe

WEAK

lead

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.

For instance, a clock traveling at 10 m/s for 57 million years would fall behind a stationary clock by about one second.

From Science Daily • May 18, 2026

Interest rates, economic growth expectations, inflation trends, and credit conditions often determine which parts of the market lead and which fall behind.

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

The official start of the next academic year would remain 31 August, he said, but said two weeks of "strengthening" learning would take place leading up to that date so students did not fall behind.

From BBC • May 9, 2026

The worry is that the company will fall behind on AI innovation, and some think funding a business transformation would be a better use of cash than buying back stock and paying dividends.

From MarketWatch • May 1, 2026

Back in January he had warned the boys, “We can’t tarry with scholastic laggards . . . any who fall behind are just out, that’s all.”

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

fall behind

Example Sentences

Related Words