abreast of

abreast of — idiom

1. at the same level or height beside a person, vehicle, or place — used especially

1.idiomB2
Definition

at the same level or height beside a person, vehicle, or place — used especially when both are traveling forward together side by side

Example

Cyrus kept his bicycle abreast of the delivery truck until the traffic light turned green.

keep + [vehicle] abreast of + [vehicle] — side-by-side movement

Constanza walked abreast of her mother along the beach without saying a word.

Common collocations
  • abreast of the truck
  • abreast of the leader
  • abreast of each other
  • keep/stay/come/draw abreast of
Synonyms
  • alongside

    more common and less formal; does not necessarily imply the same height or level

  • side by side with

    more informal and descriptive; often suggests cooperation rather than just position

  • next to

    the most general word for adjacent position; does not imply movement

Antonyms
  • far from

    indicates a large distance rather than close positioning

  • behind

    used when one person or vehicle trails another instead of matching their position

Grammar Patterns

be / move / keep / stay + abreast of + [noun phrase]

Usage Note

Often used with movement verbs such as keep, stay, come, draw, or pull. The phrase is slightly more formal and literary than alternatives like next to or beside.

Common Mistakes

Please keep me abreast of the meeting schedule.
Please keep me informed of the meeting schedule.
When the topic is information rather than physical position, use keep someone informed / up to date instead of the physical proximity sense of abreast of.

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishModern English

Abreast comes from the prefix a- (meaning 'on' or 'in') and breast, referring to the front of the chest. The literal image is of two people standing chest to chest, so close that their breasts are level. From this physical image the phrase developed the meaning of being side by side at the same height, first used for people and later extended to vehicles and objects.