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Meaning & use

to leave something behind

phrase·Everyday

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UK/tə liːv ˈsʌmθɪŋ bɪˈhaɪnd/
US/tə liːv ˈsʌmθɪŋ bɪˈhaɪnd/

Meanings

  1. phrasetransitive

    To go away from a place and not take someone or something with you.

    Grammar: Takes an object: leave something behind. The object usually goes between 'leave' and 'behind'.

    Patterns

    • leave someone behind
    • leave something behind

    I left my phone behind at the cafe, and I had to go back for it.

    The hikers left their heavy backpacks behind and climbed the last part of the mountain without them.

    She left her little brother behind at the park by accident.

  2. phrasetransitive

    To stop having a feeling, memory, or situation and move on from it.

    Grammar: Often used with abstract nouns like 'past', 'fear', or 'memories'.

    Patterns

    • leave the past behind
    • leave something behind

    After the divorce, he moved to a new city to leave his old life behind.

    It's hard to leave your fears behind when you start a new job.

    She decided to leave all the bad memories behind and focus on the future.

  3. phrasetransitive

    To do better than someone else and move ahead of them.

    Grammar: Often used in competitions or progress contexts.

    Patterns

    • leave someone behind
    • leave the competition behind

    The company's new technology left its competitors far behind.

    In the race, she quickly left the other runners behind.

    He studied hard and soon left his classmates behind in math.

Common combinations

leave something behind
Don't leave your umbrella behind.
leave someone behind
The team left him behind because he was too slow.
leave the past behind
She wanted to leave the past behind and start fresh.
leave behind a legacy
The artist left behind a legacy of beautiful paintings.
leave behind a trail
The snail left behind a trail of slime.

Synonyms and how they differ

abandon
Stronger and more formal; often suggests you have a duty to stay but you leave anyway.
forsake
Literary or old-fashioned; used for leaving someone or something you should care for.
forget
Focuses on not remembering to take something, not on physically going away.

Opposites

bringtakecarry

Commonly confused: to leave something behind or leave off? to leave something behind or leave out?

to leave something behind vs leave off

Means to stop doing something or to not include something, not to go away without taking something.

to leave something behind vs leave out

Means to not include someone or something, e.g., leave out an ingredient.

Practice

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