fall behind

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Word: Fall Behind

Meaning:
"Fall behind" is a phrasal verb that means to not keep up with someone or something in terms of progress, development, or movement. It can refer to falling behind in schoolwork, tasks, or even in a race.

Usage Instructions:

• You can use "fall behind" when talking about school, work, or any situation where someone is not keeping pace with others.
• It is often used in both formal and informal contexts.

Examples:

1. In School: "If you don’t study regularly, you might fall behind in your classes."
2. In Work: "I fell behind on my project because I was sick last week."
3. In a Race: "During the marathon, she fell behind the leaders but managed to catch up later."

Advanced Usage:

• "Falling behind" can also suggest a sense of urgency to catch up or improve.
• Example: "He realized he was falling behind in his career and decided to take a professional development course."

Word Variants:

• Fall Behind (verb): The base form.
• Fell Behind (past tense): "She fell behind on her homework."
• Falling Behind (present participle): "He is falling behind this semester."

Different Meanings:

1. Literally: To lag behind in physical movement (e.g., during a race).
2. Figuratively: To lag behind in knowledge, skills, or responsibilities (e.g., in education or work).

Synonyms:

• Lag behind
• Struggle to keep up
• Be left behind

Idioms and Related Phrasal Verbs:

• Catch Up: To reach the same level or standard as others after falling behind.
  • Example: "She studied hard to catch up with her classmates."
• Keep Up: To maintain the same pace or level as others.
  • Example: "He works hard to keep up with the latest technology trends."

Summary:

"Fall behind" is a useful phrase when discussing situations where someone is not able to keep pace with others.

Academic

Verb

1. hang (back) or fall (behind) in movement, progress, development, etc.
2. retreat

Synonyms

• lag
• dawdle
• fall back
• lose
• drop off
• recede