trail 1 of 2

trail

2 of 2

verb

as in to track
to go after or on the track of we trailed our friend into the woods, inadvertently spoiling his plans for a solitary hike

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word trail distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of trail are chase, follow, and pursue. While all these words mean "to go after or on the track of something or someone," trail may stress a following of tracks or traces rather than a visible object.

trail deer
trailed a suspect across the country

When would chase be a good substitute for trail?

While in some cases nearly identical to trail, chase implies going swiftly after and trying to overtake something fleeing or running.

a dog chasing a cat

When is it sensible to use follow instead of trail?

The meanings of follow and trail largely overlap; however, follow puts less emphasis upon speed or intent to overtake.

friends followed me home in their car

Where would pursue be a reasonable alternative to trail?

The words pursue and trail can be used in similar contexts, but pursue suggests a continuing effort to overtake, reach, or attain.

pursued the criminal through narrow streets

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 trail
Noun
Our reviewer raved about their all-day comfort; handy, blister-free adjustable straps; and grippy rubber outsole, all of which held up through five months of miles on both trails and city streets. Lauren Wingenroth, SELF, 30 July 2025 In a statement released two days after the encounter, the COS confirmed that the bears' behavior appeared to be a defensive response and that the couple had likely caught the animals off guard in a dense section of the trail. Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2025
Verb
As Gracie made his way around the mat offering tips to the officers, a cameraman trailed him, filming promotional content that would later be used to help sell Gracie’s program to other agencies. Sam Eagan, New Yorker, 29 July 2025 His 19 headed goals since the start of the 2018-19 Premier League season only trail the hauls of Chris Wood (28) and Harry Kane (24), while just Mohamed Salah (359) has got off more first-time shots than his 278 in that same period. Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 28 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for trail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trail
Noun
  • The path is potentially clear for a Fantastic Four three-peat at next week's domestic cage match, though one film may possess the power to overtake the title.
    Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 3 Aug. 2025
  • But here their paths had diverged—Sunny’s to New York City, Satya’s to Rochester.
    Kiran Desai, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • The Iowa Hawkeyes are entering the 2025 college football season looking to get their program back on track.
    Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Aug. 2025
  • The track with a racing capacity of 146,000 could host 90,000 or more even with sections blocked off.
    Teresa M. Walker, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Again, don’t run: Bears will chase you, just like a dog would.
    Mike Stunson July 14, Kansas City Star, 14 July 2025
  • And that’s what all three of these companies are chasing: trust, at scale.
    Olumuyiwa Olowogboyega, semafor.com, 14 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
  • These linguistic traces, quietly embedded in the city’s layout, are a reminder that York’s Viking past is never far beneath the surface.
    David Nikel, Forbes.com, 30 July 2025
  • In addition to houses, researchers discovered traces of production facilities and sanctuaries.
    Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 July 2025
Verb
  • Rather than pursuing general-purpose models that compete with ChatGPT, Switzerland aims to develop large language models for specific applications in fields such as science, education, healthcare, robotics and climate studies.
    Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
  • Tom Caruso grew up making wine on the sidewalk with his grandfather in South Philly, before leaving the city to pursue winemaking in New York and Sonoma.
    AFAR Media, AFAR Media, 14 July 2025
Noun
  • This legislative session, one Senate committee will cover both elementary and higher education, which will be chaired by Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, potentially easing lawmakers' ability to improve K-12 pathways to post-secondary education.
    Lily Kepner, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
  • But there are four different pathways to metabolic disease — two where the body doesn’t produce enough insulin and two where the body doesn’t respond properly to insulin.
    Jia Jung, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 July 2025
Noun
  • Arriving in Chicago, Gartland was taken by Lollapalooza’s unparalleled urban backdrop, a festival along the lakefront that takes over the downtown area of the country’s third largest media market, an immense footprint.
    Jim Ryan, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2025
  • Investigators have not found a digital footprint that was left directly by Katie since she was reported missing.
    Jason Green, Mercury News, 1 Aug. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Trail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trail. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.

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