From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishleave somebody/something ↔ behind phrasal verb1 FORGETto 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 PROGRESSif 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)STAY/NOT LEAVE 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)FAST/QUICK 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 → leave→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
leave behind• A bower builder can leave his behind. 72 More direct evidence of this pattern comes from fish.• But her happiness is clouded by having to leave daughter Amber behind.• Employees may also be worried about the social life in the new area and leaving their friends behind.• Soon it would take off, leaving her behind.• When people flee a country at the outbreak of war, they do not leave their valuables behind.• Now that they had left Naples way behind them she felt increasingly less secure.• Agnes noticed Nanny pick up something as they left the town behind them.• She tearfully departed with one dress, leaving the children behind with her mother.leave the past behind• They leave the past behind them and turn toward the future.left ... far behind• But for Iain such everyday adolescent misadventures have already been left far behind.• Mice, deer and all these islands' aboriginal inhabitants are left far behind.• The Emerald City was soon left far behind. 