# put something behind one

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/put-something-behind-one
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To recover from an unpleasant or traumatic experience; to overcome a negative feeling, especially anger, resentment, or grief.

## Examples

- It is time to put the past behind you.
- After their long argument, they decided to apologize and put the disagreement behind them.
- She finally managed to put the painful memories of her failure behind her and focus on building a successful new career.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.