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Glite Dictionary
to get behind

to get behind

47 3.0
To fail to keep up with work or a schedule
  • phrasal verb
  • /ɡɛt bɪˈhaɪnd/
translation icon : quedarse atrás
  • Your mother got behind on the payments.
  • get behind on payments
  • get so far behind
  • start to get behind

Examples

  • Moderates who eventually got behind abstinence education were also troubled by continuing high rates of teen pregnancy.

    Academic text (2003)

  • I got behind in the payments.

    Justice League (2017)

  • No, I just got a little behind in my rent.

    Illegally Yours (1988)

  • I got behind on the rent again.

    Mike's Murder (1984)

  • I have missed he last two conferences and I'm starting to get behind at work.

    Alienated (2020)

  • And will you never get behind on your dues?

    Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama 2 (2022)

  • Although she does not want her students to get too far behind, she wants to empower families.

    Academic text (2014)

  • You've already gotten behind in your bills and your business is bad, so I think you should move in with me.

  • I missed several classes this semester, so I feel like I'm starting to get behind in my studies.

  • After taking time off for my illness, I really got behind on my work projects.

Synonyms

to trail
vsto get behind
91 2.2

Move slowly and fall behind others

stresses failing to match others' progress or timing
to fall behind
vsto get behind
70 2.8

To not keep up with others or a schedule

is the general term for failing to keep pace with plans
to hang back
vsto get behind
34 4.6

To hesitate and stay behind the group

describes the general idea of not keeping pace without hesitation reasons
to lag
vsto get behind
24 3.0

To move or develop more slowly than others

focuses on falling behind people or timings rather than mere slowness
to drop back
vsto get behind
17 3.6

To move to a position behind other players, for example to prepare a pass or to help defend

covers general failure to keep up rather than deliberate repositioning
to fall back
vsto get behind
8 3.8

To move behind others in speed or progress

refers more broadly to failing to keep up with people or plans
to drop behind
vsto get behind
2 3.2

To fall behind others because you move or work more slowly

is about not keeping pace with others or schedules rather than position
to left at the post
vsto get behind
  • Informal
8.0

Fail to keep up from the start while others move ahead

is broader, applying to falling behind at any time not only initially

Antonyms

to keep up
507 2.8

To continue at the same speed or level as others

to catch up
389 2.7

To reach the same level as others after falling behind

How Behind

to get behind
47 3.0
to lag
24 3.0
to keep up
507 2.8

Surface Forms

get behind infinitive
getting behind present participle
gets behind third person singular
got behind past
got behind past participle

Morphology

get + behind

The sense 'to lag or fall behind' is directly derivable from 'get' used in the causative/become sense (as in 'get tired') plus 'behind' meaning 'in a delayed or less advanced position.' This follows a common compositional pattern (get + adjective/participant meaning 'become X') and is cross-linguistically accessible, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would likely infer the meaning.

Etymology

Get behind comes from a simple image: someone ending up at the back of a group or a schedule, so they are behind others. That's why it means 'to fall behind' or 'not keep up' with work or plans.