AAAmerican Accent US

fall behind

No object

This verb takes no object at all.

How to say it

Stress the particle, not the verb: fall BEHIND. Saying “FALL behind” is the clearest learner tell — the verb stays light and the particle carries the beat.

No pause between the words. /l/ runs straight into /b/ — “fall behind” is one rhythmic unit with a single stressed beat on the particle.

What it means

To fail to keep pace with others or with a schedule.
- “We've fallen behind on our project schedule due to delays.”
- “He fell behind in class after missing two weeks.”
Similar: lag, trail

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More FALL phrasal verbs

Compare the whole family →

fall apart

(Of a plan or organisation) to collapse or fail.

fall for

To be deceived by a trick or a lie.

fall out

To quarrel and stop being friends.

fall through

(Of a plan or arrangement) to fail to happen.

fall down

To collapse or drop to the ground.

fall back on

To resort to a reliable alternative when your first choice fails.

fall off

To decrease in amount or quality.

fall behind — meaning, examples & how to say it