trail 1 of 2

trail

2 of 2

verb

as in to track
to go after or on the track of we trailed our friend into the woods, inadvertently spoiling his plans for a solitary hike

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word trail distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of trail are chase, follow, and pursue. While all these words mean "to go after or on the track of something or someone," trail may stress a following of tracks or traces rather than a visible object.

trail deer
trailed a suspect across the country

When would chase be a good substitute for trail?

While in some cases nearly identical to trail, chase implies going swiftly after and trying to overtake something fleeing or running.

a dog chasing a cat

When is it sensible to use follow instead of trail?

The meanings of follow and trail largely overlap; however, follow puts less emphasis upon speed or intent to overtake.

friends followed me home in their car

Where would pursue be a reasonable alternative to trail?

The words pursue and trail can be used in similar contexts, but pursue suggests a continuing effort to overtake, reach, or attain.

pursued the criminal through narrow streets

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of trail
Noun
But the sleuthing trail actually provides enough evidence to keep them going, suggesting the existence of a local human trafficking network. Dennis Harvey, Variety, 25 Apr. 2025 Bike the Tammany Trace Originally constructed as a corridor for the Illinois Central Railroad, the Tammany Trace is a 31-mile-long hike-and-bike trail that weaves through downtown Covington, Abita Springs, Mandeville, Lacombe, and Slidell. Amanda Ogle, Travel + Leisure, 24 Apr. 2025
Verb
The numbers trailed the performance of Kering’s larger luxury rivals LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, which reported a 3 percent dip in first-quarter revenues to 20.31 billion euros, and Hermès International, which bucked the trend and delivered a 7.2 percent improvement to 4.13 billion euros. Miles Socha, Footwear News, 23 Apr. 2025 New York would have trailed by just one with less than six seconds left in regulation had the All-Star guard’s shot fallen. Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 22 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for trail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trail
Noun
  • While inflation cooled in March, reaching a six-month low, the path has been uneven, and Powell has faced criticism from both the left and the right over whether the Fed acted too slowly—or too aggressively.
    Nik Popli, Time, 17 Apr. 2025
  • They are already scheduled to appear before the board on June 13 as part of a comprehensive risk assessment report ordered by Newsom, who is considering the brothers’ clemency request – a separate potential path out of prison.
    Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Trent Grisham, a talented defender, made a rare mistake on the ball, which turned him around before falling on the warning track.
    Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 29 Apr. 2025
  • Martin stopped coaching track because the starting pistol reminded her of the flashbang grenade the agents set off.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 28 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The capturing of one of the sun's most elusive features is bound to inspire others to chase partial eclipses, particularly those occurring at sunrise or sunset, Seaton said.
    Jamie Carter, Space.com, 22 Apr. 2025
  • Sugar Creek, Missouri police officers began chasing a woman in a car on Interstate 435 Monday afternoon, according to Officer Alayna Gonzalez, a Kansas City Police Department spokesperson.
    Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 21 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Unlike its great western counterparts along the Pacific Crest or the Continental Divide, the United States’ most iconic footpath is subtle—a green tunnel through some of the oldest and most graceful mountains in the world, not some sizzle reel of endless panoramas.
    Grayson Haver Currin, Outside Online, 7 Apr. 2025
  • Vilnius already has 926 miles of footpath and a network of walking trails, including 24 leisure trails and 16 everyday routes.
    Emese Maczko, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Two Italian regions particularly show evidence of these first traces.
    Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 23 Apr. 2025
  • The coastal waters are a tropical stew of pollutants—industrial wastes including arsenic, cobalt, manganese, nickel, selenium, zinc, and seven other trace metals.
    Stephen S. Hall, Time, 21 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Others have suggested that Trump is simply pursuing a more nationalistic style of great-power competition, one that would make sense to Xi and Putin, as well as India’s Narendra Modi and Hungary’s Viktor Orban.
    Stacie E. Goddard, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
  • If the proposal for five seasons or the injunction on the current four-year clock gets ratified, the players could go pro, pursue another career path, or return for another — and presumably final — year.
    Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 22 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • That same day a flurry of executive orders closed down refugee resettlement and other regular pathways for protection.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Apr. 2025
  • In terms of accessibility, the hotel has made many of the pathways wheelchair-friendly, including routes to the swimming pool, restaurant, spa, and all guest rooms.
    John Wogan, Travel + Leisure, 23 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • This positive development must be juxtaposed against the harsh reality that behind the numbers documenting the massive expansion of the criminal justice footprint in earlier decades lie the personal stories of lives lost, families separated, and communities unnecessarily weakened.
    Stanley Richards, New York Daily News, 27 Apr. 2025
  • Without the footprints, the unprecedented evidence of birds in the ancient ecosystem may have been lost to time: Their fragile, hollow skeletons don’t hold up well.
    Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Trail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trail. Accessed 1 May. 2025.

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