behind 1 of 4

1
as in back of
at, to, or toward the rear of she preferred to be behind the lead hikers, who were always too much in a rush to enjoy the scenery

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in after
subsequent to in time or order we arrived behind them

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

behind

2 of 4

adjective

behind

3 of 4

noun

behind

4 of 4

adverb

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 behind
Preposition
Once again, Messi punctuated the regular season finale with a hat trick, this one in a come-from-behind win over Nashville SC. Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2025 Meteor showers occur when the Earth passes through a debris stream in space and the Orionids are a dust trail left behind by Halley's Comet, which returns to Earth around every 76 years and will next arrive in 2061. Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Servite answered with its own long drive behind Murphy. Dan Albano, Oc Register, 19 Oct. 2025 As Buffy, Shannon Elizabeth parodied the girl-next-door archetype, eventually proving to be not so innocent behind the scenes. Skyler Trepel, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Oct. 2025
Noun
Like the scrappy bird in their nickname, the tenacious Toronto Blue Jays have clawed their way to 45 come-from-behind victories – most in the major leagues – and 87 overall, tops in the American League with under two weeks left in the 2025 campaign. Dan Schlossberg, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Adverb
According to the San Diego Police Department, two female joggers were grabbed on the behind by another jogger — one at the end of June in the Mount Soledad area and one in late July in the Pacific Beach area. Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Sep. 2025 With Buehler off the roster, the Red Sox are left kicking themselves in the behind for the decision. Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for behind
Recent Examples of Synonyms for behind
Preposition
  • Those pictures showed Swift in the back of the suite.
    Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Liverpool went into the international break tied for third in the league with 13 total goals, though the reigning champs have been in the back of the net just twice across their last three appearances (including a 1-0 Champions League loss to Galatasaray).
    Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
Preposition
  • Weigert, 56, left Tracker after season 1, and like Sunday’s episode, her absence was also explained within the show during a brief conversation in season 2.
    Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2025
  • So to be there, back in my home state, to cover something that was just so unthinkable, reprehensible, that's always stayed with me, just talking to people in the days and hours after that tragedy.
    Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • How to Protect Your Luggage From Bed Bugs From delayed flights to lost luggage, travel is already anxiety-inducing enough without adding these pervasive pests to the mix.
    Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 23 Sep. 2025
  • Sunday saw a delayed start and revamped schedule after a storm caused a shelter in place to be issued.
    Kirby Adams, Louisville Courier Journal, 22 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Simons would stand near Lillard’s seat and receive a high-level basketball education from the All-Star point guard.
    Jay King, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
  • The Zone 4 seat is up for reelection in March 2026.
    Edward McKinnon, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Two were discharged, while one remained under observation in an emergency room as of late Friday, the spokesperson said.
    Isabel Rosales, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
  • It will be replaced again in late November, following four Pittsburgh-area high school football playoff games.
    Mike DeFabo, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The plane's inflatable escape slide was deployed, and the nose and tail sections of the plane separated.
    Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025
  • The aircraft was left partially submerged with its tail section snapped off, video showed.
    Chris Lau, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2025
Adverb
  • It was considered immoral to lie and the whole point of writing things down back then was to increase morality and improve society, so there really is no didactic history of forgery.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 16 Oct. 2025
  • The team got its name following a fan vote resulting in more than 850,000 ballots back in May.
    Julian McKenzie, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Bankruptcies, drunk driving charges, delinquent child support, foreclosures, nickel-and-dime car wrecks, suspicious slip-and-falls, dubious claims of disabilities — the stock-in- trade of a run-of-the-mill street lawyer whose law school dreams of riches had faded so dim they were almost gone.
    Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2025
  • City officials contract with a secondary collection agency to pursue delinquent citations, and to send collection notices and make collections calls.
    Anna Kleiber, jsonline.com, 17 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Behind.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/behind. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.

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