bring up the rear
Come in last
To bring up the rear is to be last in a group that's moving forward—the person or unit at the back of a procession, march, or race.
The phrase comes from military formation, where the rear guard protects against attack from behind.
It often carries a slight sense of lagging: Our team brought up the rear in the standings all season.
- followGo behind another
- lagPeriod of falling behind
- backmarkerLast-place racer
- tailenderLast-place finisher
- straggleFall behind scattered
drag behind · fall behind · tail end · tag along · slow poke · last · last place · hindmost · trail · lag behind · endmost · final · track · end · caboose · accompany · concluding · ultimate
bring up the rearlead
Dense metal, symbol Pb
lead the way · take the lead · head up · spearhead · front
bring up the rearlead
Dense metal, symbol Pb
take charge · head · set the pace · pioneer · trailblaze
bring, brings, brought, bringing, bringer, upper, upping, rear, rears