ENGLISH
REFERENCE

get behind

phr. v..
B1 Intermediate Oxford General-service

phr. v.. to fail to do work or pay money on time; to be slower than other people in a race or a process.

phr. v.. to fail to maintain a schedule or pace, particularly regarding financial obligations or academic progress; often implies a cumulative delay.


SIMPLE

I don't want to get behind with my rent.

CONTEXTUAL

If you miss too many classes, you will quickly get behind in your studies and struggle to catch up.

COMPLEX

The construction project began to get behind schedule due to an unexpected shortage of raw materials and skilled labor.

Particles
behind
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
get + behind (+ with/in + object)
Usage

often followed by 'with' for payments or 'in' for tasks and studies.

Teaching tip

contrast with 'fall behind', which is a near-synonym but often implies a more passive loss of pace compared to the state of 'getting behind'.

Pitfall

I got behind of my work.I got behind with my work.use 'with' or 'in' to connect the phrase to the specific task; 'of' is not used here.

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