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bring up the rear

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bring up the rear

to move along behind everyone else; to be at the end of the line. (Originally referred to marching soldiers. Fixed order.) Here comes John, bringing up the rear. Hurry up, Tom! Why are you always bringing up the rear?

See also: bring, rear, up

bring up the rear

to be at the back of a group of people moving from one place to another They walked down the hall, with Ray bringing up the rear.

See also: bring, rear, up

bring up the rear

to be at the back of a group of people who are walking or running Ceri was in the lead. Bringing up the rear, a mile or so down the road, was Simon.

See bring to heel, bring up with a start

See also: bring, rear, up

bring up the rear

Be last in a line or sequence, as in As a slow walker, I'm used to bringing up the rear, or In test results Tom always brought up the rear. This term almost certainly came from the military but the earliest citation given by the Oxford English Dictionary is from a 1643 religious treatise by Sir Thomas Browne: "My desires onely are . . . to be but the last man, and bring up the Rere in Heaven."

See also: bring, rear, up

bring up the rear

To be the last in a line or sequence.

See also: bring, rear, up