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.

Manus made a splash in March by debuting an impressive agent that stoked fears the U.S. was falling behind China, where the start-up was founded.

From Barron's

In addition, it’s likely that millions of borrowers who have fallen behind on their debt will face another penalty of a student-loan default in 2026: having their tax refund taken.

From MarketWatch

However, falling behind motivated Zimbabwe and they deservedly levelled on 19 minutes thanks to the individual brilliance of Tawanda Maswanhise from Scottish Premiership club Motherwell.

From Barron's

Some 38% of the public housing authority’s tenants have fallen behind on the rent, up from 15% before the ballot measure, the Seattle Times reports.

From The Wall Street Journal

Issues with manufacturing technology have been a significant factor behind the company falling behind rivals, namely Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing.

From Barron's

fall behind

Example Sentences

Related Words