track 1 of 2

1
2
as in path
a rough course or way formed by or as if by repeated footsteps there was still a faint track through the underbrush that indicated where the path used to be

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
as in route
the direction along which something or someone moves I followed the track of the thief's eyes as he watched the woman put the money into her purse and walk away

Synonyms & Similar Words

track

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word track distinct from other similar nouns?

The words trace and vestige are common synonyms of track. While all three words mean "a perceptible sign made by something that has passed," track implies a continuous line that can be followed.

the fossilized tracks of dinosaurs

When can trace be used instead of track?

In some situations, the words trace and track are roughly equivalent. However, trace may suggest any line, mark, or discernible effect.

the killer left no traces

Where would vestige be a reasonable alternative to track?

While in some cases nearly identical to track, vestige applies to a tangible reminder such as a fragment or remnant of what is past and gone.

boulders that are vestiges of the last ice age

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 track
Noun
The site is a stone’s throw from the former Longcross test track—now a major movie studio—where the McLaren F1 was shaken down. Tim Pitt, Robb Report, 9 July 2025 Fitness-wise, there's now a Running Coach that measures your fitness level from 1 to 10 and creates a training program with real-time guidance and motivational messages to get you on the right track. Julian Chokkattu, Wired News, 9 July 2025
Verb
There are clear maps around dangerous rivers like the Guadalupe outlining where a flood like this will track, which areas will be underwater, and where the flood will reach first. Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 10 July 2025 As of July 8, Kansas City has seen 87 homicides, according to data tracked by The Star, which includes fatal police shootings. Pj Green july 10, Kansas City Star, 10 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for track
Recent Examples of Synonyms for track
Noun
  • The second process for forming a condensation trail occurs in air that is clear, but almost fully saturated with water vapor.
    Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 19 July 2025
  • Since 1983, he’s made the trek nearly every year, sometimes twice a year, only missing two years: once when trails closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and once due to heavy snow.
    Alexandra Hardle, AZCentral.com, 19 July 2025
Noun
  • In tests at Heathrow and at Singapore Changi Airport, Aimee has helped manage ground traffic and aircraft clearance, signaling a path forward for a possible hybrid human-machine collaboration.
    Adrienne Bernhard, Scientific American, 10 July 2025
  • Moving into hurricane season, NOAA announced the Defense Department would no longer share data from key weather satellites that track hurricane paths.
    Katharine Hayhoe, Time, 10 July 2025
Noun
  • But that doesn’t mean the club would avoid going that route if the player fits.
    LaMond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2025
  • Our e-commerce shipping model is built to allow last-minute switches between carriers, routes and even destination handling partners.
    Andre Claudio, Sourcing Journal, 11 July 2025
Verb
  • The song is a tribute to musical nomads who chase the impulses of a song around the globe.
    Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 14 July 2025
  • An ax-wielding stranger initially mistaken for a delivery driver chased a woman into her home, then led deputies on a 13-mile chase, a California sheriff’s office reported.
    Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 14 July 2025
Verb
  • The scene was more amusing than threatening — onlookers whipped out cell phone cameras to document the sight of horses traversing the grounds.
    Jim Newton, Mercury News, 12 July 2025
  • Created by the brand’s in-house team, the campaign features Zhao traversing the great outdoors, lush mountains, and cityscapes, eventually fleeing to the moon, all rendered via cutout paper collages.
    Denni Hu, Footwear News, 9 July 2025
Noun
  • However, the meteorites contained only trace amounts of plagioclase, a mineral believed to dominate Mercury’s surface.
    Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 14 July 2025
  • Thomas Crooks, the 20-year-old weirdo who somehow managed to crawl onto that roof and get a clean line of sight to the biggest target in the world, left virtually no trace.
    Carlo Versano, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 July 2025
Noun
  • Viewers were able to see one of the siblings stroll calmly along a worn footpath, perfectly in step with an invisible rhythm.
    Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 May 2025
  • Paille also said that urban areas could be redesigned to separate roads from footpaths.
    Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 27 May 2025
Noun
  • Park Eun-bin stars as Young-woo, a rookie attorney on the autism spectrum who pairs her intelligence with a unique perspective to help her clients in novel ways.
    Sara Netzley, EW.com, 13 July 2025
  • The weather is perfect nearly year-round, with a rainy summer season that breaks way to a downright mesmerizing winter marked by sunny days and cool nights.
    Michaela Trimble, Vogue, 13 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Track.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/track. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.

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