behind her up

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "behind her up" is not correct and does not convey a clear meaning in written English.
It is unclear when this phrase could be used, as it lacks context and proper structure. Example: "He stood behind her up the hill." (This is an attempt to provide context, but the phrase still remains awkward.)

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

She is the first Bharatanatyam dancer I can remember to do the splits, and in her modern solo she takes one sculptural balance and then adjusts it to hold her foot, behind her, up by her head.

The New York Times - Arts

Occasionally, when he has to walk behind her up the stairs, he recalls a line from one of Moravia's Roman stories: "I was trying not to look at her legs, as one does with a woman one respects".

The New Yorker

Scrabbling along behind her, up rocks, in the storm, down dead-end streets, only to stumble into the side doors of restaurants.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

If she is lagging behind, pick her up in your arms and carry her.

WikiHow

In the show, Reba leaves Nashville and her cheating husband behind, packs up her mom, Lillie Mae (Tomlin), and kids, and moves out to California to pursue her long-forgotten music career.

Huffington Post

The man behind her was up again.

The New Yorker

Sami extended one foot behind her and up over her head, until her ankle rested under her chin.

The New York Times - Magazine

Alley's still spilling over, leaving her mark wherever she goes, while her two assistants (Bryan Callen and Rachael Harris, both of them terrific) trail behind her, mopping up and soothing her easily flustered ego.

The New Yorker

"Abby slammed down harder on the accelerator as the car behind her caught up".

WikiHow

Suddenly I saw her mouth open in surprise as a large young man behind her lifted her up by the elbows, carried her down the steps and placed her gently on the sidewalk.

The New York Times

An intuitive musical dancing partner, he slips behind her, lifts her up, twirls her around, covers her with kisses, then deposits bouquets at her feet.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing spatial relationships, clearly separate the preposition indicating direction (e.g. "behind") from any adverbs indicating movement (e.g. "up"). For example, prefer "stood behind her" or "climbed up behind her" over combining the terms in a less common phrasing.

Common error

Be careful not to merge prepositions of location with adverbs of direction in a way that creates ambiguous or non-standard phrasing. Instead of "behind her up", use clearer alternatives like "behind her" or "climbing up behind her" to maintain clarity and grammatical correctness.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "behind her up" functions primarily as a prepositional phrase, attempting to indicate a spatial relationship. However, due to its non-standard construction, its grammatical correctness is questionable. As noted by Ludwig AI, the phrase is not correct.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Wiki

33%

Encyclopedias

17%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "behind her up" is a grammatically questionable construction that attempts to describe a spatial relationship. As Ludwig AI highlights, the phrase is not considered correct in standard English. While a few examples exist, it's advisable to opt for clearer and more conventional phrasing such as "behind her", "following her", or specifying the action like "climbing up behind her". Using these alternatives ensures clarity and avoids potential ambiguity. The phrase appears most frequently in News & Media and Wiki sources, but should be used cautiously, especially in formal contexts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

behind her

Shorter, focusing solely on spatial position.

backing her up

Emphasizes providing support or reinforcement.

behind her all the way

Implies complete and unwavering support.

supporting her

Focuses on providing assistance or endorsement.

in support of her

Specifically refers to offering assistance or approval.

at her back

Focuses on protection and spatial position.

following her

Highlights the act of going after someone.

advancing behind her

Highlights the act of coming after her while someone is in front.

to her rear

Describes a position directly in the back.

in her wake

Describes what is left behind or results from her actions.

FAQs

What does "behind her" mean?

The phrase "behind her" typically indicates a position at the back of someone or something. It can also imply support or endorsement depending on context.

What's wrong with the phrase "behind her up"?

The phrase "behind her up" is not standard English and can sound awkward. It's better to use clearer phrases like "behind her" or use a verb to connect the two ideas (e.g. "climbing up behind her").

How can I use "behind her" in a sentence?

You can use "behind her" to describe spatial relationships such as "The car was parked behind her" or to indicate support, such as "The team stood behind her".

What can I say instead of "behind her up"?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives like "following her", "supporting her", or simply "behind her".