be behind
phrasal verb·3 senses·particle behind
Meanings
Be late with work or a schedule
Why “behind”? One person or thing follows behind another on the same path.
“We are behind on the rent this month.”
“The project is two weeks behind schedule.”
Be the hidden cause or organiser of something
Why “behind”? A hidden cause sits behind the action you can see.
“Who is behind the false messages?”
“A local group was behind the campaign.”
Support a person, plan, or cause
Why “behind”? A person or group gives steady support to someone or something.
“The whole team is behind the new coach.”
“We are fully behind the safety plan.”
Test yourself
“We are behind on the rent this month.” What does it mean?
Nearby in the meaning map
Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.
drop behind
Same behind pattern: late
Lose your position relative to a group moving ahead
fall behind
Same behind pattern: late
Fail to keep pace or make progress as quickly as others; Of a payment, become late or owed
get behind
Same behind pattern: late
Become late with work, payments, or schedule; Support a person, idea, or cause
hide behind
Same behind pattern: hidden cause
Use something as a cover or excuse
lag behind
Same behind pattern: late
Move or progress more slowly than others
leave behind
Same behind pattern: late
Forget or fail to take something with you when you go; Surpass someone in development or achievement; Depart from someone, ending a relationship or association
lie behind
Same behind pattern: hidden cause
Be the underlying cause of something visible
line up behind
Same behind pattern: support
As a group, publicly support the same person or idea
Sink In — iOS & Android
Practice “be behind” in Sink In
Drill “be behind” and 1,300+ other phrasal verbs with spaced repetition, organised by the particle patterns that connect them.
- Learn the pattern behind dozens of verbs at once — not one-off translations.
- Spaced repetition (SM-2) brings each meaning back right before you forget.
- Four practice modes train recall and discrimination, not just recognition.
