falling behind

phrase

present participle of fall behind
as in delaying
to move or act slowly He lost his footing and fell behind in the relay.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of falling behind After falling behind by double digits midway through the third quarter, Salaun and Tip Hayes powered a 17-3 run to end the quarter with a 51-49 Golden State lead. — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 22 Aug. 2026 The robot overtook smartphone maker Honor's Lightning near the finish after falling behind early in the race. — Reuters, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2026 Then there’s the possibility of cramping during the run and, of course, the fear of falling behind. — Lila Hempel-Edgers, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026 And with the average rate on credit card accounts that were charged interest recently topping 22%, falling behind on this type of revolving debt can become expensive quickly. — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026 Finance leaders are under pressure to move fast, demonstrate business value and avoid falling behind competitors already putting AI to work. — Hugo Sarrazin, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026 The super app project is being headed by Jacob Andreou, the 33-year-old executive who has had a fast rise at Microsoft and whom Nadella is trusting to save its AI strategy after falling behind competitors, Fortune reported in June. — Sebastian Herrera, Fortune, 13 Aug. 2026 Stocks sank on that surge in yields, as investors questioned whether the central bank was falling behind in its inflation fight. — Alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 1 Aug. 2026 Philadelphia scored three unanswered goals after falling behind 2-0 despite playing with a man advantage for more than an hour. — ABC News, 1 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for falling behind
marking time
Phrase
  • The moon represents creation and destruction, rebirth, eternity, the feminine, time, marking time, mystery, the night, and secrets.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of marking time

Browse Nearby Words

falling back on
falling behind
falling down
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Falling behind.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/falling%20behind. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

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