Can "put sth behind you" be used in formal writing?

Yes, but it's more common in spoken and informal contexts.

Is "put sth behind you" always about negative things?

Mostly yes, it refers to leaving bad experiences in the past.

Can I use this phrase about someone else's problems?

Yes, you can say "put your problems behind you" when giving advice.

What is the difference between "put sth behind you" and "move on"?

"Put sth behind you" focuses on forgetting or not being affected, while "move on" means starting to focus on new things.

Is the phrase separable?

Yes, but it's most natural to keep the object right after "put."

Put sth behind you Meaning and Examples: How to Use This Phrasal Verb

What Does “Put sth behind you” Mean?

“Put sth behind you” means to forget or stop worrying about a bad experience and move on with your life.

Introduction

The phrase “put sth behind you” is commonly used in English to encourage someone to move past difficulties or negative experiences. When you put something behind you, you stop focusing on it and start looking forward. This is especially helpful when dealing with mistakes, failures, or emotional pain. Understanding the “put sth behind you meaning” can improve your communication, especially in personal and professional situations. It helps express the idea of letting go and moving forward in a positive way.

Quick Info Box

Phrasal verb: put something behind you
Type: transitive
Level: B2
Short meaning: to forget or stop being affected by a bad experience

Structure (Grammar Rules)

“Put sth behind you” is a separable phrasal verb. You can place the object between “put” and “behind” or after “behind.”

Put + object + behind + you (e.g., put the past behind you)
Put + behind + you + object (less common, e.g., put behind you the problems)

Usually, the first pattern is more natural in everyday speech.

How to Use Put sth behind you?

Use this phrasal verb when talking about leaving negative events in the past. It often refers to emotional or psychological situations, such as ending a difficult relationship, recovering from failure, or forgetting mistakes. It can be used with things like problems, mistakes, the past, or difficult times.

Examples

After the argument, Sarah decided to put the whole issue behind her and focus on her work.

It’s important to put your mistakes behind you and learn from them.
He put his failed business behind him and started a new career.
She finally put her past behind her and felt happy again.
Let’s put this problem behind us and work together.
After the accident, it took him a while to put it behind him.

These show how to put sth behind you in a sentence naturally.

Common Mistakes

People sometimes confuse the structure or use the wrong preposition.

Incorrect: Put behind you the mistake.
Correct: Put the mistake behind you.
Incorrect: Put the mistake in behind you.
Correct: Put the mistake behind you.

Remember to use “behind” and keep the object close to “put.”

Differences / Synonyms

Similar phrasal verbs include “move on,” “let go,” and “get over.” However, “put sth behind you” specifically emphasizes leaving something in the past and not letting it affect you anymore.

Move on: Focus on the future, but less about forgetting completely.
Let go: Release emotional attachment, similar but often more emotional.
Get over: Recover from something difficult, often emotional pain.

Each phrase can be used in different contexts, but “put sth behind you” is more about consciously deciding to move past an issue.

Common Collocations

We often use “put sth behind you” with certain words. These collocations help express common ideas.

Put the past behind you: Forget previous events or mistakes.
Put problems behind you: Stop worrying about difficulties.
Put mistakes behind you: Forget errors and move forward.
Put a bad experience behind you: Stop being affected by something negative.
Put a failure behind you: Move on after not succeeding.

Related Phrasal Verbs

Here are related phrasal verbs of put sth behind you:

Real-life Dialogue

Talking about a breakup:

Anna: I’m still upset about what happened last month.

Tom: I know it was hard, but you need to put it behind you and start fresh.

Anna: You’re right. I can’t keep dwelling on the past.

Practice

Choose the correct sentence that uses “put sth behind you” properly:

a) I want to put my mistakes behind me and try again.
b) I want to put behind me my mistakes and try again.
c) I want to put my mistakes in behind me and try again.

Answer: a) I want to put my mistakes behind me and try again.

FAQ

Q: Can “put sth behind you” be used in formal writing?
A: Yes, but it’s more common in spoken and informal contexts.
Q: Is “put sth behind you” always about negative things?
A: Mostly yes, it refers to leaving bad experiences in the past.
Q: Can I use this phrase about someone else’s problems?
A: Yes, you can say “put your problems behind you” when giving advice.
Q: What is the difference between “put sth behind you” and “move on”?
A: “Put sth behind you” focuses on forgetting or not being affected, while “move on” means starting to focus on new things.
Q: Is the phrase separable?
A: Yes, but it’s most natural to keep the object right after “put.”