as in chased
to go after or on the track of
detectives tailed the suspect to see where he was going at that time of the evening
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Recent Examples of tailed
The activity is not unlike the way US and Soviet submarines tailed one another in the Cold War, but instead of running silent and running deep, highly reflective satellites easily stand out against the inky blackness of space.
—
Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 15 May 2026
Meanwhile, Dean Estabrook tailed the bus full of his Yuba City High School choir students from his personal car, a two-vehicle caravan en route to a choral exchange in the Bay Area.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 9 May 2026
Details about the underlying allegation remain murky, but the department sources familiar with the matter said the LAPD’s secretive Special Operations Division tailed officers who were under investigation.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026
One rider, identified as Richard Collins, the leader of the group, told Fox 5 Atlanta the black SUV tailed the group and laid down the horn.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2026
The hit was outsourced to a hulking Estonian assassin, Imre (the Butcher) Arakas, who arrived at Dublin Airport on April 3, 2017, and was immediately tailed by officers from the An Garda Síochána’s Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, who arrested him the next day.
—Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 30 Apr. 2026
Players who find themselves being tailed tend to take it first as a badge of honor.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 22 Apr. 2026
Plan was to be bushy tailed & beauty rested, as I was meant to head straight to glam for a slot with our beloved Drew Barrymore upon landing.
—Zack Sharf, Variety, 10 Apr. 2026
Plan was to be bushy tailed & beauty rested [sic], as I was meant to head straight to glam for a slot with our beloved @DrewBarrymore, upon landing.
—Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 10 Apr. 2026
Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 15 May 2026
Meanwhile, Dean Estabrook tailed the bus full of his Yuba City High School choir students from his personal car, a two-vehicle caravan en route to a choral exchange in the Bay Area.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 9 May 2026
Details about the underlying allegation remain murky, but the department sources familiar with the matter said the LAPD’s secretive Special Operations Division tailed officers who were under investigation.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026
One rider, identified as Richard Collins, the leader of the group, told Fox 5 Atlanta the black SUV tailed the group and laid down the horn.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2026
The hit was outsourced to a hulking Estonian assassin, Imre (the Butcher) Arakas, who arrived at Dublin Airport on April 3, 2017, and was immediately tailed by officers from the An Garda Síochána’s Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, who arrested him the next day.
—Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 30 Apr. 2026
Players who find themselves being tailed tend to take it first as a badge of honor.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 22 Apr. 2026
Plan was to be bushy tailed & beauty rested, as I was meant to head straight to glam for a slot with our beloved Drew Barrymore upon landing.
—Zack Sharf, Variety, 10 Apr. 2026
Plan was to be bushy tailed & beauty rested [sic], as I was meant to head straight to glam for a slot with our beloved @DrewBarrymore, upon landing.
—Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 10 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tailed
Verb
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The sisters threw items at the employee, chased her through the restaurant, hit her with pots and pans, attempted to throw hot grease on her head and threatened to kill her, according to prosecutors.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
15 June 2026
-
North Richland Hills Police Department officers chased the SUV from a Walmart on Northeast Loop 820 into the city of Fort Worth.—
Emerson Clarridge,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 June 2026
Verb
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The program is not so different to some policies already pursued by the current Labour government.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
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Following in her mother's footsteps, Judith Sheldon pursued a brief acting career in the 1950s.—
Noe Padilla,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
Verb
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After identifying the vehicle in the shootings, Graves said that Sanchez-Munoz was tracked to a home in the 700 block of South Brookside Avenue, thought to be his primary residence.—
Ben Wheeler,
Kansas City Star,
18 June 2026
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The scariest data of all come from that big UK Biobank study that tracked the light exposure of eighty-nine thousand volunteers.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 June 2026
Verb
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The Dream followed with a 113-96 win over the Fever at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on Saturday, a game in which Clark again led Indiana with 26 points.—
Jackson Thompson OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
21 June 2026
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What are considered normal testosterone levels in men can range widely, from around 300 to more than 800 nanograms per deciliter, but even that depends on which guidelines are followed or which lab tests were conducted, Brahmbhatt said.—
Jacqueline Howard,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
Verb
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But French organizers quickly escorted media from the room.—
Kevin Liptak,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
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In one instance, during a news conference on July 26, 2023, McConnell stopped speaking and stood silently for nearly 30 seconds before being escorted away from a lectern by his Republican colleagues.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tailed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tailed. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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