as in pursuit
the act of going after or in the tracks of another
the detectives' trailing of the suspect led them to the stolen merchandise
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in chasing
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of trailing
Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 25 Mar. 2026
Shutter speeds typically range from 10 to 25 seconds when using wide-angle lenses, depending on focal length (longer lenses require shorter exposures to avoid star trailing).
—Jamie Carter, Space.com, 10 Mar. 2026
For weeds with trailing rhizomes like creeping Charlie, work your fingers beneath the rhizomes and remove as much of the trailing stems as possible.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 8 Mar. 2026
The Heat led by as many as 14 points in Thursday’s first half, but the Nets made a run late in the second quarter to enter halftime trailing by only four points.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2026
With less than two seconds left and Michigan State trailing by two, Kennedy Blair — who had already put up a career-best 30 points on 61 percent shooting — got into the paint.
—Chantel Jennings, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Its one-year trailing return is in the eighth percentile.
—Michelle Fox, CNBC, 9 Feb. 2026
Satin pothos are gorgeous houseplants that are known for their large, thick leaves and luscious trailing vines.
—Cori Sears, The Spruce, 7 Feb. 2026
There were also trains galore, perhaps none longer than the 13-foot one trailing from the back of Doechii’s Roberto Cavalli dress.
—Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 1 Feb. 2026
Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 3 Apr. 2026
Use the thriller, filler, and spiller method for lush containers with height, coverage, and trailing plants.
—Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 3 Apr. 2026
Fullerton was trailing 5-2 when Andrea Montes De Oca and Melia Vera led off the inning with back-to-back singles.
—Lou Ponsi, Oc Register, 3 Apr. 2026
Gutierrez left with Metea trailing 2-1, but the Mustangs quickly regained the lead in the top of the sixth on an RBI single by Oklahama recruit Tyler Gluting.
—Paul Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
Kuol Atak scored eight points in the first half and Oklahoma went into halftime trailing 41-37.
—ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
The rear light flares bright when braking to add visibility for trailing riders and drivers.
—Erica Zazo, Outside, 27 Mar. 2026
In overtime with time winding down, Holloway picked up a loose puck to the left of the Sharks’ net, skated toward the crease in front of a trailing Celebrini, and beat goalie Alex Nedeljkovic, roofing a backhand shot to send San Jose to its sixth straight loss (0-5-1).
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
After trailing 17-7 through three quarters, the Chiefs scored 24 points in the final period.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 27 Mar. 2026
Noun
Right now, only the team that’s trailing can attempt an onside kick.
—Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 25 Mar. 2026
Shutter speeds typically range from 10 to 25 seconds when using wide-angle lenses, depending on focal length (longer lenses require shorter exposures to avoid star trailing).
—Jamie Carter, Space.com, 10 Mar. 2026
For weeds with trailing rhizomes like creeping Charlie, work your fingers beneath the rhizomes and remove as much of the trailing stems as possible.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 8 Mar. 2026
The Heat led by as many as 14 points in Thursday’s first half, but the Nets made a run late in the second quarter to enter halftime trailing by only four points.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2026
With less than two seconds left and Michigan State trailing by two, Kennedy Blair — who had already put up a career-best 30 points on 61 percent shooting — got into the paint.
—Chantel Jennings, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Its one-year trailing return is in the eighth percentile.
—Michelle Fox, CNBC, 9 Feb. 2026
Satin pothos are gorgeous houseplants that are known for their large, thick leaves and luscious trailing vines.
—Cori Sears, The Spruce, 7 Feb. 2026
There were also trains galore, perhaps none longer than the 13-foot one trailing from the back of Doechii’s Roberto Cavalli dress.
—Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 1 Feb. 2026
Verb
Thursday night, with the Mets trailing the San Francisco Giants by five runs, Bichette came up with Juan Soto on first base and only one out.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 3 Apr. 2026
Use the thriller, filler, and spiller method for lush containers with height, coverage, and trailing plants.
—Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 3 Apr. 2026
Fullerton was trailing 5-2 when Andrea Montes De Oca and Melia Vera led off the inning with back-to-back singles.
—Lou Ponsi, Oc Register, 3 Apr. 2026
Gutierrez left with Metea trailing 2-1, but the Mustangs quickly regained the lead in the top of the sixth on an RBI single by Oklahama recruit Tyler Gluting.
—Paul Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
Kuol Atak scored eight points in the first half and Oklahoma went into halftime trailing 41-37.
—ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
The rear light flares bright when braking to add visibility for trailing riders and drivers.
—Erica Zazo, Outside, 27 Mar. 2026
In overtime with time winding down, Holloway picked up a loose puck to the left of the Sharks’ net, skated toward the crease in front of a trailing Celebrini, and beat goalie Alex Nedeljkovic, roofing a backhand shot to send San Jose to its sixth straight loss (0-5-1).
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
After trailing 17-7 through three quarters, the Chiefs scored 24 points in the final period.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 27 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trailing
Noun
-
In the Pomona case, O'Malley said that officers had to weigh the costs of continuing the pursuit.—
Tom Wait,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Most families here are descendants of settlers from Ireland and England who came in pursuit of cod 300-plus years ago.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The timing is particularly painful given the significance of what the Bella Twins are chasing.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Volkswagen attempted an anti-tech pro-human message during the Super Bowl with an ad that showed earthy pleasures like dancing in the rain and chasing an ice-cream truck.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The New Yorker reviewed more than a dozen unclassified documents about ICE-tracking apps, many of them created by fusion centers—intelligence hubs created after 9/11 to share information about criminal and terrorist threats.—
Oriana van Praag,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Ship-tracking data shows some tankers using a route closer to Iran’s coast, with reports that certain operators may have paid for safe passage.—
Abbas Al Lawati,
CNN Money,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
His career path is noted by local teachers and community members as a model for pursuing STEM fields from a Baltimore County foundation.—
Mathew Schumer,
Baltimore Sun,
1 Apr. 2026
-
To that point, Fortune reported last week that 77% of enterprises are actively pursuing AI initiatives—but many don’t know how to evaluate, procure, or deploy the tools effectively, leaving significant spending without measurable return.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The PlayStation 5 Pro is a more powerful spin on the vanilla PS5, thanks to ray tracing and AI upscaling that give games a visual boost.—
Will Greenwald,
PC Magazine,
27 Mar. 2026
-
After two cases were detected at the University of Florida at Gainesville, for instance, health-department officials performed contact tracing, ultimately reaching some 1,000 people, Fred Southwick, an infectious-disease specialist at the university, told me.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Here’s how the other following contenders landed in the top five for Charlotte’s best places to live.—
Chase Jordan
March 30,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The Knicks lost a second game in a row for just the fourth time this season, following Thursday’s loss to the Charlotte Hornets with a late-game collapse against the defending champs.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Mining sites face a similar issue, with arsenic concentrated in tailings near extraction areas.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Jan. 2026
-
Why the Boundary Waters Mine Is a Bad Trade Twin Metals skeptics also question where the copper would be processed, and how the millions of tons of mine tailings would be stored safely.—
Alex Robinson,
Outdoor Life,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Part of the challenge for vessels and any potential ship-escorting operations is that the room for maneuver is highly constricted.—
Annette Choi,
CNN Money,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Emergency services responded to the Philadelphia International Airport Friday morning after officials said a Secret Service agent accidentally shot himself while escorting former first lady Jill Biden.—
Kaitlyn McCormick,
USA Today,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Trailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trailing. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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