drop by the wayside{v. phr.} To give up or fail before the finish.
The boys tried to make a 50-mile hike, but most of them fell by the wayside.
George, Harry, and John entered college to become teachers, but Harry and John fell by the wayside, and only George graduated.See: FALL BY THE WAYSIDE.
[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲