falling behind the pack

USAGE SUMMARY

"falling behind the pack" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
You can use it when describing someone or something as lagging behind the rest of their peers in some kind of race, competition, or other activity. For example, "The team was falling behind the pack after losing their star player to injury."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

Indeed, fund managers, more than anyone else, tend to exhibit herd-like behavior because they're afraid of falling behind the pack, according to a recent study by two university researchers, Patrick Dennis at the University of Virginia and Deon Strickland at Ohio State University.

Forbes

Beltway insiders were risking falling behind the pack.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

Also missing are pitched awards contenders Joy, Trumbo, The Danish Girl, Beasts of No Nation, Steve Jobs and Creed; all films once pitched to be possible players, but which have since quickly fallen behind the pack.

Independent

A false start in Christie's 1,000m event seemed to unsettle the Scot and when the gun went for a second time she fell behind the pack of five competitors, before battling back to second place.

BBC

The storied reservoir fed a generation of social programs, but dependence on the field caused Mexico's national oil industry to fall behind the pack, not developing the ability to operate where geology is more complex, and more avant-garde and expensive technology is necessary.

Forbes

Clinton is the inevitable front-runner, Sanders is the lefty, and sadly both Linc Chafee and Martin O'Malley have fallen behind the pack.

Huffington Post

In Hungary, at one point along the road, a group of stragglers waited in the drizzle for a bus after falling behind the main pack of people who had set off on foot.

The Guardian

In the next month, the production began falling behind schedule.

Wikipedia

Is the American worker falling behind?

Forbes

The Hurricanes won despite falling behind twice.

The New York Times - Sports

It looks like West Ham are now going to pack the midfield even more and frustrate their opponents, who created little after falling behind".

BBC

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "falling behind the pack" when you want to emphasize a competitive situation where an entity is losing its relative position. It suggests not just a decline, but a decline relative to others.

Common error

Avoid using "falling behind the pack" in situations that don't involve a clear group or competition. For example, saying "He's falling behind the pack in his personal life" might be confusing; it's better to say he's struggling or not making progress.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "falling behind the pack" functions as a descriptive idiom, indicating a state of lagging or losing ground relative to a group of competitors. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, this phrase is correct and used in written English.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

66%

Wiki

33%

Science

0%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "falling behind the pack" is a grammatically sound phrase used to describe a state of lagging in a competitive environment. Ludwig AI confirms its usability in written English. It is most frequently found in news and media contexts and carries a neutral to professional register. While not overly common, the phrase effectively conveys the idea of losing ground relative to others. Alternative phrases like "lagging behind the competition" or "losing ground" offer similar meanings and can be used depending on the specific nuances you wish to convey.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

lagging behind the competition

Replaces "pack" with "competition" focusing on a competitive context.

falling behind the leaders

Substitutes "pack" with "leaders", emphasizing the distance from those in front.

losing ground

Uses a more general term for declining in position or progress.

getting left behind

Focuses on the idea of being abandoned or overtaken.

trailing the field

Replaces "pack" with "field", often used in racing contexts.

falling to the rear

Emphasizes the physical position of being at the back.

being outpaced

Highlights the aspect of others moving faster.

slipping in the rankings

More specific to ranked lists, indicating a drop in position.

becoming uncompetitive

Focuses on the loss of ability to compete effectively.

declining in performance

A general phrase suggesting a reduction in effectiveness or quality.

FAQs

What does "falling behind the pack" mean?

The phrase "falling behind the pack" means to lag or trail behind a group, especially in a competitive setting. It suggests a loss of position or progress relative to others.

What are some synonyms for "falling behind the pack"?

Alternatives include "lagging behind the competition", "losing ground", or "getting left behind", depending on the specific context.

How can I use "falling behind the pack" in a sentence?

You can use it in sentences like, "The company risks falling behind the pack if it doesn't innovate" or "The athlete is falling behind the pack after a slow start."

Is it better to say "falling behind the pack" or "falling behind the rest"?

While both are valid, "falling behind the pack" implies a more direct competition or race-like scenario. "Falling behind the rest" is a more general statement of lagging compared to others.