as in pursuit
the act of going after or in the tracks of another
the reporter's constant tailing of the candidate resulted in an exclusive scoop
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in chasing
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
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 tailing
Debra Utacia Krol, AZCentral.com, 7 Aug. 2025
In addition, Utah has significant amounts of tellurium that can be taken from tailings from copper mining and used in defense technologies.
—Noël Fletcher, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025
Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
Pine Ridge, South Dakota — A four-pack of rez dogs trotted toward the lone grocery store, greeting and tailing human companions in hopes of a spare scrap.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tailing
Noun
The plaintiffs also argued that that a tailings dam, if breached, would send a flood of toxic sludge that would heavily impact the communities of Dripping Springs, Kearny and Winkelman, and could possibly travel about 280 miles down the Gila River's watershed.
—Debra Utacia Krol, AZCentral.com, 7 Aug. 2025
In addition, Utah has significant amounts of tellurium that can be taken from tailings from copper mining and used in defense technologies.
—Noël Fletcher, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025
Verb
According to Netflix’s synopsis, Nancy and Robin discover a sickness spreading through town, a mysterious man tailing their movements, and a series of clues that suggest something more dangerous than mere supernatural echoes.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
Pine Ridge, South Dakota — A four-pack of rez dogs trotted toward the lone grocery store, greeting and tailing human companions in hopes of a spare scrap.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tailing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tailing
Noun
-
The pursuit of perfection, in this case, is also tied to proximity to whiteness.—
Elizabeth Gulino,
Allure,
26 Mar. 2026
-
That's also a new pursuit for Qualcomm.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
26 Mar. 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
-
Effectively pursuing all four of these strategies at once, backed by good intelligence and cutting off supply from Iran, could make the war an easier affair than in 2024.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Furthermore, the lawsuit contends that while LaBeouf’s attorneys were still aggressively pursuing their position and seeking monetary compensation from Barnett, a partying LaBeouf was arrested in New Orleans on assault charges for allegedly punching two bar patrons.—
Cheyenne Roundtree,
Rolling Stone,
25 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
Verb
-
Lucaville Italy is also developing a psychological thriller based on Dario Argento’s directorial debut The Bird with the Crystal Plumage and a serialized reboot of Palermo Milan, a cross-European action drama following a security detail escorting a key ‘Ndrangheta informant.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
24 Mar. 2026
-
According to the arrest report, security was escorting McAneney out of Señor Frog's bar when police intervened.—
CBS Miami Team,
CBS News,
19 Mar. 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
Cite this Entry
“Tailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tailing. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
