remain behind

remain behind

1. To continue to be physically present at or in some place or thing after other people have left. One of my men will behind to make sure Robert arrives safely. Tom always remains behind in the office to do work in peace.
2. To persist despite efforts to be removed. There's a lot to love about their newest video game, but it's clear that some technical issues have remained behind from its troubled development period. We had a whole bunch of QA testers working on the software, but it looks like some bugs remained behind in version being shipped to retailers.
See also: behind, remain
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

remain behind

to stay at a place even when others have left. Can't I go too? Do I have to remain behind? I will remain behind for a day or two.
See also: behind, remain
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • grapple
  • grappling
  • (right) under (one's) (very) nose
  • in the wrong place at the wrong time
  • tear loose from (someone or something)
  • remain under
  • remain under (something)
  • crash through
  • crash through (something)
References in classic literature
Now and then I caught sight of the swaying hearse in front of us, and our own driver urged his pair so that we might not remain behind. I felt in myself, too, the desire to get the whole thing out of my mind.
As I understand it, you cast lots among yourselves who was to go with the party, and who was to remain behind. Frank cast the lot to go." She paused, shuddering.
There were no casualties to report, for nobody had curiosity enough to remain behind to see what would happen.
And at no time did she admire him more than when he told her, as he often did with splendid firmness, that one day he meant to remain behind in the Gardens after the gates were closed.
Maimie was one of the kind who like to fix a day for doing things, but Tony was not that kind, and when she asked him which day he was to remain behind in the Gardens after Lock-out he merely replied, "Just some day;" he was quite vague about which day except when she asked "Will it be to-day?" and then he could always say for certain that it would not be to-day.
At length, it was voted that there was no help for the angry gentleman, and that he must either go in his chance company or remain behind. So, he got into his place, still making complaints, and the keeper got into the place next him, and the convicts hauled themselves up as well as they could, and the convict I had recognized sat behind me with his breath on the hair of my head.
That they must be somewhere within the great rambling edifice I was positive, and I should have given much to have found a way to remain behind during Kulan Tith's absence, that I might search for them.
Firdous Ashiq Awan said Maryam Safdar Awan did not remain behind in the race of telegraphic transactions.
I shared the story of my long-distance marriage on a YouTube video titled My Life, My Wife and Kilimani Mums and since that day, people keep asking me what it is really like to be in such a union.LAUGHED AT MYSELFFor the uninitiated, I'm the imbecile that allowed his wife to go and work abroad, accepting to remain behind with the then one-year old son.
Quack doctor Mugo wa Wairimu will remain behind bars until the conclusion of his case after a Nairobi court denied him bail.
The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Victoria Bob-manuel, who gave the ruling, said the accused should remain behind bars pending advice from the State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
I call on the authorities to release all journalists who remain behind bars, including Yusuf Ruzimurodov, Bobomurod Abdullaev, Gayrat Mikhliboev and Khayot (Khan) Nasreddinov."
LARKANA -- The entire city of Larkana and its surroundings was in continues grip of hot weather and hot spell on Tuesday, like previous days, forcing the majority of people to remain behind the doors.
Desiderio Perez, Dennis Jabatan and newly arrested Fernando Cassanova, however, will remain behind bars.
I do hope he will remain behind bars for the rest of his life.