1
: a footprint whether recent or fossil
the huge track of a dinosaur
2
a
: detectable evidence (such as the wake of a ship, a line of footprints, or a wheel rut) that something has passed
b
: a path made by or as if by repeated footfalls : trail
c
: a course laid out especially for racing
d
: the parallel rails of a railroad
e(1)
: material recorded especially on or as if on a track
instrumental tracks
a bonus commentary track on a DVD
(2)
: one of a series of parallel or concentric paths along which material (such as music or information) is recorded (as on a phonograph record or magnetic tape)
(3)
: a group of grooves on a phonograph record containing recorded sound
f
: a usually metal way (such as a groove) serving as a guide (as for a movable lighting fixture)
3
a
: a sequence of events : a train of ideas : succession
b
: an awareness of a fact, progression, or condition
keep track of the costs
lose track of the time
4
: track-and-field sports
especially
: those performed on a running track
5
a
: the course along which something moves or progresses
b
: a way of life, conduct, or action
c
: one of several curricula of study to which students are assigned according to their needs or levels of ability
d
: the projection on the earth's surface of the path along which something (such as a missile or an airplane) has flown
6
a
: the width of a wheeled vehicle from wheel to wheel and usually from the outside of the rims
b
: the tread of an automobile tire
c
: either of two endless belts on which a tracklaying vehicle travels
tracked; tracking; tracks
1
2
a
: to follow by vestiges : trace
b
: to observe or plot the moving path of (something, such as a spacecraft or missile) often instrumentally
3
a
: to carry (mud or other material) on the feet and deposit
tracking mud into the kitchen
b
: to make tracks upon
4
: to keep track of (something, such as a trend) : follow
5
: to travel over : traverse
track a desert
1
: travel
a comet tracking eastward
2
a
of a pair of wheels
(1)
: to maintain a constant distance apart on the straightaway
(2)
: to fit a track or rails
b
of a rear wheel of a vehicle
: to follow accurately the corresponding fore wheel on a straightaway
c
of a phonograph needle
: to follow the groove undulations of a recording
3
: to leave tracks (as on a floor)
tracker
noun
Synonyms
Examples of track in a Sentence
Noun
Follow the track into the forest.
We were warned about walking beside the railroad tracks.
Verb
He tracked the deer for a mile.
The detectives tracked the killer to Arizona.
The ship can track incoming missiles with radar.
Meteorologists are tracking the storm.
The study tracked the patients over the course of five years.
The squadron will track north by northeast for 40 miles.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Kyle Denis, Billboard, 1 Dec. 2023
The instrumental track was written by Rob Bisel and Carter Lang before weeks before their session with SZA.
—Jem Aswad, Variety, 1 Dec. 2023
Several tracks from You Are the Quarry appear on our list of the 50 best Morrissey songs, which can be found here.
—Spin Staff, SPIN, 1 Dec. 2023
The track sees Beyoncé talking up her achievements and wealth over a hard-dropping beat.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 1 Dec. 2023
The Nasdaq Composite is up 11% in November, on track for its best month since July 2022.
—WSJ, 30 Nov. 2023
Shortly after Nixon’s trip to Beijing, Kissinger moved ahead on the second track of his diplomatic vision, arranging a U.S.-Soviet summit that took place in May 1972.
—Norman Kempster, Los Angeles Times, 30 Nov. 2023
This past summer, my son and I spent hours testing out running shoes to find the best pair for his high school track season and my upcoming trip to Grand Teton National Park.
—Karthika Gupta, Travel + Leisure, 30 Nov. 2023
The duo culled tracks from its debut album, Good Lies, which arrived in May.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 21 Nov. 2023
Stacy Ryburn, arkansasonline.com, 3 Dec. 2023
While that story did not identify anybody, the records allowed reporters to begin tracking how individuals were prosecuted.
—Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Dec. 2023
Bloomberg Philanthropies, which coordinates the charitable giving of former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg, has committed $40 million to create tools to track methane leaks and expand data tracking and coordination among organizations focused on accountability.
—Evan Bush, NBC News, 2 Dec. 2023
The low pressure responsible is now looking to track nearly over us, which may keep it mild for another day.
—Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 2 Dec. 2023
Follow resting heart rate trends, and track your calorie burn with 24/7 heart rate tracking.
—Claire Rutter, Rolling Stone, 1 Dec. 2023
That’s particularly notable given that there was a whole investigations team (that was at one point led by the former Deputy Attorney General James Comey) dedicated to tracking down employee missteps and punishing them.
—Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 30 Nov. 2023
According to Labus, the cards were more important when tracking the original series’s timing, which required two shots.
—Rachel Murphy, Verywell Health, 30 Nov. 2023
Officials still have not been able to track down all of the financial accounts tied to the Central Arkansas Housing Corporation, Carpenter said.
—Joseph Flaherty, arkansasonline.com, 22 Nov. 2023
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Noun
Naturally, Billboard’s monthly Reggae/Dancehall Fresh Picks column will not cover every last track, but our Spotify playlist — which is linked below — will expand on the 10 highlighted songs.
—Kyle Denis, Billboard, 1 Dec. 2023
The instrumental track was written by Rob Bisel and Carter Lang before weeks before their session with SZA.
—Jem Aswad, Variety, 1 Dec. 2023
Several tracks from You Are the Quarry appear on our list of the 50 best Morrissey songs, which can be found here.
—Spin Staff, SPIN, 1 Dec. 2023
The track sees Beyoncé talking up her achievements and wealth over a hard-dropping beat.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 1 Dec. 2023
The Nasdaq Composite is up 11% in November, on track for its best month since July 2022.
—WSJ, 30 Nov. 2023
Shortly after Nixon’s trip to Beijing, Kissinger moved ahead on the second track of his diplomatic vision, arranging a U.S.-Soviet summit that took place in May 1972.
—Norman Kempster, Los Angeles Times, 30 Nov. 2023
This past summer, my son and I spent hours testing out running shoes to find the best pair for his high school track season and my upcoming trip to Grand Teton National Park.
—Karthika Gupta, Travel + Leisure, 30 Nov. 2023
The duo culled tracks from its debut album, Good Lies, which arrived in May.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 21 Nov. 2023
Verb
The city has a dashboard on its website that tracks its various environmental initiatives.
—Stacy Ryburn, arkansasonline.com, 3 Dec. 2023
While that story did not identify anybody, the records allowed reporters to begin tracking how individuals were prosecuted.
—Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Dec. 2023
Bloomberg Philanthropies, which coordinates the charitable giving of former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg, has committed $40 million to create tools to track methane leaks and expand data tracking and coordination among organizations focused on accountability.
—Evan Bush, NBC News, 2 Dec. 2023
The low pressure responsible is now looking to track nearly over us, which may keep it mild for another day.
—Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 2 Dec. 2023
Follow resting heart rate trends, and track your calorie burn with 24/7 heart rate tracking.
—Claire Rutter, Rolling Stone, 1 Dec. 2023
That’s particularly notable given that there was a whole investigations team (that was at one point led by the former Deputy Attorney General James Comey) dedicated to tracking down employee missteps and punishing them.
—Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 30 Nov. 2023
According to Labus, the cards were more important when tracking the original series’s timing, which required two shots.
—Rachel Murphy, Verywell Health, 30 Nov. 2023
Officials still have not been able to track down all of the financial accounts tied to the Central Arkansas Housing Corporation, Carpenter said.
—Joseph Flaherty, arkansasonline.com, 22 Nov. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'track.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English trak, from Middle French trac
First Known Use
Noun
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a
Verb
1565, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a
Time Traveler
The first known use of track was
in the 15th century
Phrases Containing track
Dictionary Entries Near track
Cite this Entry
“Track.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/track. Accessed 9 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
track
1 of 2 noun1
a
: a mark left by something that has gone by
b
c
: a path along which something is recorded (as on magnetic tape)
2
a
: a course laid out for racing
b
: the parallel rails of a railroad
3
: the course along which something moves or progresses
4
: awareness of things or the order in which things happen or ideas come
lose track of the time
keep track of expenses
5
: either of two continuous metal belts on which a vehicle (as a tank or bulldozer) travels
6
: track-and-field sports
especially
: those performed on a running track
track
2 of 2 verb1
a
: to follow the tracks or traces of : trail
track a deer
b
: to search for until found
tracking down the causes of cancer
2
: to observe the moving path of
track a missile with radar
3
: to make tracks upon or with
track up the floor
track mud all over the floor
tracker
noun
More from Merriam-Webster on track
Nglish: Translation of track for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of track for Arabic Speakers
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