falls well behind

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "falls well behind" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that something is significantly lacking or trailing in comparison to something else. Example: "In terms of technological advancement, our company falls well behind our competitors."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Sports

Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

The department falls well behind the national average.

The Guardian

As in so many areas, league falls well behind union when it comes to grasping the potential benefits of the women's game.

The Guardian - Sport

Here, where the government has offered tickets for one peso (about five American cents), soccer's popularity falls well behind that of baseball, boxing, volleyball and sometimes basketball.

The New York Times - Sports

It falls well behind the rejuvenated Venezuelan opposition's tenacious and focused campaign, and the abdominal cancer that, though shrouded in state secrecy, is believed to imperil Chávez's life — and with it, the country's stability.

The New York Times

The UK was on a similar path to the US in years 1-2 (2008–09), but falls well behind the US in years 3-4 (2010–2011), only to drop below the forecast range in year 5 (2012).

The New York Times

It is one of the world's last communist states, heavily reliant on both foreign aid (there are almost no Laotian NGOs) and foreign investment; although its economy has grown at a rate of about 6% a year in the last decade, it still falls well behind its neighbours.

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

But T-Mobile has fallen well behind Sprint in its fight for users.

The New York Times

They fell well behind the Conservatives, who dropped only 16 seats down to 115 seats.

The Guardian

Construction firms, utilities, telecoms, farmers and the health-care system have fallen well behind America in measures of productivity.

The Economist

The climb was gradual at first, but it took just three minutes for me to fall well behind.

The New Yorker

Today, however, bin Laden and his deputy, Ayman Zawahiri, have fallen well behind their younger followers worldwide.

The Washington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "falls well behind", ensure there's a clear point of comparison. Specify what the subject is lagging behind to provide context and impact.

Common error

Avoid using "falls well behind" without specifying the benchmark. For example, instead of saying "the project falls well behind", specify "the project falls well behind the initial schedule".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "falls well behind" functions as a verb phrase, indicating a state of lagging or deficiency relative to a specific benchmark. Ludwig AI confirms the grammatical correctness and usability of this phrase.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Formal & Business

25%

Sports

25%

Less common in

Science

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "falls well behind" is a grammatically correct verb phrase used to express that something lags significantly compared to a specific benchmark. Ludwig AI confirms its validity and usability. While relatively rare in occurrence, it appears most frequently in news and sports contexts, as well as in business-related content. Alternatives such as "lags significantly" or "is far behind" can be used to convey a similar meaning. When employing this phrase, it is crucial to specify the point of comparison to ensure clarity and impact. Avoiding vague comparisons and providing context is essential for effective communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

is far behind

A simpler alternative that retains the meaning of being distant in progress or achievement.

lags significantly

Replaces "falls well behind" with a more concise expression emphasizing the act of lagging.

trails considerably

Uses "trails" to highlight the idea of following behind, amplified by "considerably" to match the original intensity.

is significantly inferior

Focuses on the aspect of being lower in quality or status.

is substantially outstripped

Emphasizes being overtaken or exceeded to a great extent.

is markedly surpassed

Highlights that the degree to which it is beaten is visible or obvious.

is nowhere near as advanced as

Emphasizes the great distance between the levels of advancement.

pales in comparison to

Highlights that it is a lot weaker or less impressive than something else.

is a distant second to

Uses a ranking analogy to show that it is far behind the first.

cannot compete with

Focuses on the inability to achieve the same results because there is a big difference in capabilities.

FAQs

What does "falls well behind" mean?

The phrase "falls well behind" indicates that something is significantly lagging or trailing in comparison to something else. It suggests a considerable gap in progress, achievement, or quality.

How to use "falls well behind" in a sentence?

You can use "falls well behind" to compare two subjects where one is notably less advanced or successful than the other. For example: "In terms of technological advancement, our company "falls well behind" our competitors."

What can I say instead of "falls well behind"?

You can use alternatives like "lags significantly", "is far behind", or "trails considerably" depending on the context.

Is it grammatically correct to say "falls well behind"?

Yes, "falls well behind" is a grammatically correct and usable phrase in English. It is commonly used to express a significant disparity between two subjects being compared.