stay behind

stay behind

To remain in some location from which one or more other people have departed. We'll need someone to stay behind to give Jeff and Tina their keys to the lodge. The rest of the group decided to go on a hike, but I stayed behind to read my book by the lake.
See also: behind, stay
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

stay behind

[for someone] to remain in a place when others have left. I will stay behind and tell the late arrivers where you have gone. Fred always stayed behind to clean up.
See also: behind, stay
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

stay behind

v.
To remain in a place that others have left: I stayed behind because I had too much work to do.
See also: behind, stay
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • departed
  • feud with (someone)
  • feud with (someone) over (someone or something)
  • feud with (someone) about (someone or something)
  • dear departed
  • dear(ly) departed
  • hang loose
  • hang/stay loose
  • Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles' Father
  • Charles
References in periodicals archive
Teachers only realised their mistake at the end of the two-hour exam - when they asked the bemused class to stay behind and take Paper One as well.
A phone conversation with Oblong, who won't disclose his age, reveals one thing: His funny stories meld a dark sense of humor, a perpetual smirk, and the embarrassment of a guy on a press junket who just wants to stay behind the scenes and (flaw cartoons.
But if you are one of those who has to stay behind to mind the shop, you won't lose out, thanks to the herculean efforts of our editors to sort and analyze and digest the contents of 2000 exhibits into a manageable summary of what's important and newsworthy.
A contemporary author reminds us that "the past won't stay behind you." (Hazo 1993) That is certainly true today in records management.
Suicide draws a sharp line between the one who goes beyond and those who stay behind. The most painful thing to realize is that not only has the dead man become invisible to us, but we are no longer visible to him.
An auto accessory company may make a device that can help you get around your difficulty and stay behind the wheel.
Plates and stemware, at the opposite end, stay behind doors that open to both dining and living areas.
"They're always willing to stay behind after training so we thank them.
Guitarist Nick injured his foot earlier in the American tour, and even had to stay behind in Colorado for treatment when the rest of the band headed to Texas.
Live music played on fancy guitars Saturday night was the best night of all Especially with a chance of a stay behind Last orders please!
JIMMY-FLOYD Hasselbaink yesterday pleaded with Middlesbrough fans to stay behind their team after the Riverside faithful made their feelings known on the club's recent indifferent form.
The 26-year-old former girlfriend of Soham killer Ian Huntley applied to be let out on an electronic tagging scheme but was told by Mr Narey that she must stay behind bars.
"So he will stay behind and work with our Reserve coach Tommy Craig and have the odd game while we are away."
"Unfortunately there are a few key players who have had to stay behind which is a wee bit disappointing," he said.
The Sky Blues boss says that the battle against relegation ruled out any exotic trips, and ordered the team to stay behind and work flat out with new coach Roland Nilsson.