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
-
Winn then allowed a bases-clearing double to Abrams to tie the game at 3-3, and Daylen Lile gave the Nationals a lead and chased Winn from the game with a soft single to center that scored the final run.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
9 June 2026
-
Popov testified that Sibley chased him and punched him in the head.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
Every victim deserves to be heard, and every allegation will be thoroughly investigated and pursued in accordance with the law.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
12 June 2026
-
Opportunities are pursued based on commercial judgment, with legal feasibility evaluated as a secondary step.—
Joseph Andrew,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
Diomande made a spectacular leap at RB Leipzig in 2025-26 and comes into this tournament being tracked closely by Europe’s elite clubs.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
11 June 2026
-
This death marks the 58th homicide in Kansas City in 2026, compared to 71 at this time last year, according to data tracked by The Star, which includes fatal police shootings.—
Rashad Alexander,
Kansas City Star,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
The Angels added to their advantage in the sixth inning when Guzman delivered a two-out two-run single and Walton followed with his run-scoring double.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
-
The lawsuit claims a correctional officer assigned to protect the woman stood by as an inmate followed her into a freezer and pulled a weapon.—
Zach Boetto,
CBS News,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
Austin's father, Jeff Metcalf, tried to attend that news conference but was escorted out of the building by Dallas Police, reported Fox 4.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
-
Deputies escorted McMaster to a nearby cell with a restroom.—
Tim Fang,
CBS News,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tailed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tailed. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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