ran behind
Fell into arrears
Ran behind means failed to keep pace with a schedule or expectation.
Someone who ran behind at work didn't complete tasks on time.
A project that ran behind exceeded its timeline: Construction ran behind by three months.
The phrase can also mean literally running in a position behind someone else in a race, though the scheduling sense dominates.
- trailedFollowed or lagged
- tardyArriving past due
- stagnatedCeased all forward movement
- underperformedFailed to reach potential
- followedCame behind another
lagged · lost ground · fell short · shadowed · overdue · pursued · delayed · belated · struggled · chased · faltered · dwindled · playing catch up · regressed · unpunctual · run · procrastinated · backtracked
ran behindran ahead
Moved forward first
ahead of schedule · got ahead · on schedule · on time · beat the clock
ran behindran ahead
Moved forward first
led · took the lead · outpaced · pulled ahead · preceded