Synonyms of falling behind

falling behind

phrase

present participle of fall behind

as in delaying

to move or act slowly

He lost his footing and fell behind in the relay.

Synonyms & Similar Words

• delaying
• lingering
• dragging
• crawling
• poking
• dropping behind
• hanging fire
• marking time
• strolling
• playing
• creeping
• dragging one's feet
• taking one's time
• loitering
• lagging
• fiddling (around)
• shuffling
• puttering (around)
• fooling around
• hanging (around or out)
• dawdling
• moping
• stalling
• dillydallying
• pottering (around)
• diddling
• lollygagging
• messing around
• monkeying (around)
• tarrying
• lounging
• staggering
• slowing (down or up)
• dallying
• idling
• trifling
• shilly-shallying
• loafing
• sauntering
• ambling
• decelerating
• inching
• lolling
• easing
• temporizing
• procrastinating
• lumbering
• plodding
• filibustering

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• flying
• rushing
• racing
• running
• tearing
• speeding
• ripping
• hurrying
• whirling
• hastening
• scurrying
• dashing
• whizzing
• bolting
• scudding
• whisking
• coursing
• scrambling
• barreling
• scooting
• zipping
• rocketing
• darting
• bowling
• hurtling
• hotfooting (it)
• careering
• running
• hustling
• speeding (up)
• humping
• stampeding
• jogging
• galloping
• trotting
• accelerating
• breezing
• catching up
• sprinting
• quickening
• overtaking
• outpacing
• outstripping
• outrunning
• fast-forwarding

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of falling behind

The Broncos’ defense forced the Ducks to turn over the ball on downs twice, and the offense answered nearly every time Oregon could have pulled away — tying the score at 24-24 and 27-27 after falling behind in the second half. — Idaho Statesman, 6 Sep. 2026

After falling behind 14-13 with 37 seconds left, Georgia Tech drove to the Colorado 27-yard line. — Seth Emerson, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026

But, after falling behind 3-2 in the first set, Alcaraz began to find a rhythm. — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 31 Aug. 2026

After falling behind by double digits midway through the third quarter, Salaun and Tip Hayes powered a 17-3 run to end the quarter with a 51-49 Golden State lead. — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 22 Aug. 2026

The robot overtook smartphone maker Honor's Lightning near the finish after falling behind early in the race. — Reuters, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2026

Then there’s the possibility of cramping during the run and, of course, the fear of falling behind. — Lila Hempel-Edgers, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026

And with the average rate on credit card accounts that were charged interest recently topping 22%, falling behind on this type of revolving debt can become expensive quickly. — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026

Finance leaders are under pressure to move fast, demonstrate business value and avoid falling behind competitors already putting AI to work. — Hugo Sarrazin, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026