leave somebody/something ↔ behind phrasal verb (
see also leave)
1. to not take someone or something with you when you leave a place:
I think I might have left my wallet behind. He departed for Washington, leaving the children behind with their mother.2. if a person, country, or organization is left behind, they do not develop as quickly or make as much progress as other people, countries etc:
In class, a child with poor eyesight can soon get left behind. a fear of being left behind by better-organized rivals3. (
also leave somebody/something behind you) to permanently stop being involved with a person, place or situation:
It’s time to leave the past behind. Although Armstrong overcame the circumstances of his birth, he never really left New Orleans behind.4. (
also leave somebody/something behind you) to move away from someone or something:
They had left the city behind and were heading into open country. Sarah, with her long legs, soon left the rest of us far behind.5. (
also leave something behind you) to produce a thing or situation that remains after you have gone:
He drove off, leaving behind him a trail of blue smoke. the mess the previous government left behind [TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲