lag behind
phrasal verb·1 sense·particle behind
Meanings
Move or progress more slowly than others
Why “behind”? One person or thing follows behind another on the same path.
“Our region lags behind in growth.”
“The small team lags behind in sales.”
Test yourself
“Our region lags behind in growth.” What does it mean?
Nearby in the meaning map
Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.
be behind
Same behind pattern: late
Be late with work or a schedule; Be the hidden cause or organiser of something; Support a person, plan, or cause
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
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
run behind
Same behind pattern: late
Be later than scheduled
set behind
Same behind pattern: late
Cause something or someone to be slower than expected
slip behind
Same behind pattern: late
Lose ground gradually compared to others
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