ENGLISH
REFERENCE

get behind with

phr. v..
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford General-service

phr. v.. to fail to do work or pay bills on time, so you have more to do later.

phr. v.. to fail to make progress or payments according to a schedule, resulting in an accumulated backlog or debt.


SIMPLE

I often get behind with my emails during busy weeks.

CONTEXTUAL

If you get behind with the rent, the landlord might ask you to leave the apartment.

COMPLEX

The department began to get behind with the processing of applications after the new regulations were introduced, leading to a significant administrative bottleneck.

Particles
behind with
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
get + behind + with + object
Usage

usually followed by a noun representing a task, a payment, or a schedule.

Teaching tip

contrast with 'fall behind with', which is a near-synonym; 'get behind' often implies the state of being late, while 'fall behind' emphasizes the process of losing pace.

Pitfall

I got behind of my work.I got behind with my work.the correct preposition to link the state to the task is 'with', not 'of'.

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