lose ground
Slip in standings
To lose ground is to fall behind or lose advantage relative to a competitor or goal.
The opposite of gaining ground: The candidate lost ground in the polls after the debate.
Originally military—troops lose ground when forced to retreat—now applied to any situation where progress reverses or position weakens: The dollar lost ground against the euro.
- fall behindFail to maintain pace
- degradeLower in standing
- lagPeriod of falling behind
- fall awayGradually decrease or recede
- erodeDiminish through persistent friction
retreat · decline · weaken · backslide · deteriorate · falter · concede · outpaced · fall short · underperform · withdraw · slip · slip back · shrink · fall back · lag behind · slump · collapse
- combat idiomsstab in the back, dodge a bullet, in the crosshairs, fire away, take a shot
- setbacksfailing, back to square one, stuck, losing, stumbles
- failingfail, fails, collapse, flop, bomb
- losing phrasesgame over, defeated, beaten, take a beating, eliminated
- motion idiomsin motion, on the move, on the go, move forward, move along
- retreatback away, back off, withdrawal, retreating, back up
lose groundgain ground
Move forward, advance
make progress · advance · move forward · make headway · make strides
lose groundgain ground
Move forward, advance
pull ahead · take the lead · overtake · outpace · surge ahead
lose groundgain ground
Move forward, advance
advance · push forward · expand · occupy · conquer
lose, ground, loose, loser, loosen, background, underground, grounds, grounded