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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 tailed
Vast numbers of gregarious Central Texas grackles — the separate common and great-tailed species — assemble by the thousands at night, especially during the winter.
—
Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 18 Feb. 2026
The Bride learns to view herself as a monster after a night of dancing at a club ends in violence, forcing the couple to hit the road, where they're tailed by a detective (played by Gyllenhaal's husband, Peter Sarsgaard), and his brilliant but long-suffering secretary (Penélope Cruz).
—Sydney Bucksbaum, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Feb. 2026
After the showing, the crowd high-tailed it over to Genghis Cohen on Fairfax Avenue for a packed after party.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 30 Jan. 2026
When the officers left the parking lot, Rank tailed immediately behind them in her car.
—Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 28 Jan. 2026
But it was quickly revealed that each of the ‘unsupervised’ cars were in fact being tailed by other ‘supervised’ Tesla cars (with drivers present) …so any claims of achieving true unsupervised autonomy are disingenuous at best.
—Laurie Winkless, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Feliciano's white pickup was fresh from the repair shop after protesters tailed and rammed him on a busy street in Chicago amidst the controversial Operation Midway Blitz, during which Border Patrol agents fired tear gas at protesters after being confronted by angry crowds.
—Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 13 Dec. 2025
Of course, most evenings here will either be topped or tailed by a visit to a Dublin pub, but for everything in between, these are our favorite Dublin restaurants across the city right now to grab an indulgent bite to eat.
—Aoife O'Riordain, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Nov. 2025
El Toro tailed 30-17 going into the fourth quarter.
—Michael Huntley, Oc Register, 8 Nov. 2025
Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 18 Feb. 2026
The Bride learns to view herself as a monster after a night of dancing at a club ends in violence, forcing the couple to hit the road, where they're tailed by a detective (played by Gyllenhaal's husband, Peter Sarsgaard), and his brilliant but long-suffering secretary (Penélope Cruz).
—Sydney Bucksbaum, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Feb. 2026
After the showing, the crowd high-tailed it over to Genghis Cohen on Fairfax Avenue for a packed after party.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 30 Jan. 2026
When the officers left the parking lot, Rank tailed immediately behind them in her car.
—Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 28 Jan. 2026
But it was quickly revealed that each of the ‘unsupervised’ cars were in fact being tailed by other ‘supervised’ Tesla cars (with drivers present) …so any claims of achieving true unsupervised autonomy are disingenuous at best.
—Laurie Winkless, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Feliciano's white pickup was fresh from the repair shop after protesters tailed and rammed him on a busy street in Chicago amidst the controversial Operation Midway Blitz, during which Border Patrol agents fired tear gas at protesters after being confronted by angry crowds.
—Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 13 Dec. 2025
Of course, most evenings here will either be topped or tailed by a visit to a Dublin pub, but for everything in between, these are our favorite Dublin restaurants across the city right now to grab an indulgent bite to eat.
—Aoife O'Riordain, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Nov. 2025
El Toro tailed 30-17 going into the fourth quarter.
—Michael Huntley, Oc Register, 8 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tailed
Verb
-
Montgomery chased it for a swinging strike.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Mar. 2026
-
And like so many franchises before it, an endless number of follow-ups chased easy money and diminishing returns.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Sampair concurred, noting everyone on this Mahtomedi team pursued a championship with total disregard for individual accolades.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The Politico founder and NOTUS editor-in-chief Tim Grieve have aggressively privately pursued many of the top remaining names at the Post, hoping to peel off a significant number of top journalists to help the publication become an immediate player in DC.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Police later tracked the van down in an alley near Lakewood and Oakdale avenues in Lakeview.—
Sabrina Franza,
CBS News,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Avoid wearing shoes in the house to prevent dirt and grit from being tracked in and possibly damaging your floor’s finish.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Schwarber followed with a 427-foot drive that landed near the back of the second deck in right field to put the United States on top 3-1.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
-
In the days that followed QueenEr’Re's shooting, which captured the attention of city leaders, a mobile camera unit on a trailer was parked at the playground.—
Cameron Knight,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Macron said the Charles de Gaulle will be escorted by its air wing, and its escorting frigates.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 Mar. 2026
-
The trio were seen carrying flowers of their own as deputies with the Pima County Sheriff's Department escorted them to the memorial near the front of Nancy Guthrie's home, according to a video posted by NewsNation reporter Brian Entin.—
Perry Vandell,
AZCentral.com,
2 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tailed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tailed. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
