Synonyms of trailing

trailing 1 of 2

noun

as in pursuit

the act of going after or in the tracks of another

the detectives' trailing of the suspect led them to the stolen merchandise

Synonyms & Similar Words

• pursuit
• tracking
• tracing
• tailing
• chasing
• search
• chase
• shadowing
• pursuing
• tagging
• following
• dogging
• hounding
• hot pursuit
• trail
• track
• path
• seeking
• tagging along

trailing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of trail

as in chasing

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

• chasing
• tracking
• pursuing
• following
• escorting
• tailing
• tracing
• accompanying
• dogging
• hounding
• shadowing
• coursing
• tagging
• running after
• running
• watching
• bird-dogging
• hunting
• seeking
• eyeing
• observing
• chaperoning
• searching (for)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• leading
• guiding
• heading
• piloting

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of trailing

Noun

Its leading edge sweeps back 37 degrees, with a 28-degree sweep along the trailing edge. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 18 Aug. 2026

To achieve this, the wings need a very high aspect ratio, which is, to put it very simply, the ratio between a wing's span and its average width from its leading edge to its trailing edge. — David Szondy august 04, New Atlas, 4 Aug. 2026

Profits barely budged until mid-2025, then accelerated, rising 25% on a trailing, four-quarter basis through Q1 of 2026. — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 30 July 2026

Meanwhile the company repurchased $6 billion of stock over the trailing year, roughly 100 million shares. — Zennon Kapron, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026

The room is framed by a mural trailing across the top of the walls, by local artist Rafael Arana, tracking scenes from the life of Gilded Age heiress Arabella Huntington. — Jocelyn Silver, Vogue, 26 July 2026

Spain has not spent a single second trailing at this World Cup; Argentina has trailed for more than 100 minutes, including stoppage time. — Tim Reynolds, Chicago Tribune, 19 July 2026

Compared with Spain’s near-flawless record, the reigning champions have spent 14 per cent of their tournament trailing, which is double the rate of their triumphant campaign in Qatar (seven per cent). — Mark Carey, New York Times, 18 July 2026

The graceful trailing stems and showy flowers of climbing hydrangeas (Hydrangea anomala) look beautiful growing on pergolas and fences. — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 27 June 2026

Verb

Denis Bouanga scored late in the second half and Los Angeles FC escaped with a 1-1 draw after trailing the Portland Timbers for 75 minutes on Saturday night. — ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026

Household cleaning, which is already foreign-dominated, is the most resilient, trailing baseline by just 4% in 2027 and 18% in 2030. — John Koetsier, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026

The Marlins’ 39 home wins are fourth-most in the majors, trailing only Tampa Bay (43), Milwaukee (43), and Atlanta (42). — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 22 Aug. 2026

Neighbors said the rotten-egg smell has gotten worse over the last couple of weeks, even trailing to apartments across the street. — Nicole Comstock, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026

In comparison to other e-commerce beauty retailers, TikTok Shop ranks third in beauty e-commerce — trailing behind pure-play e-commerce and specialty retailer channels. — Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 21 Aug. 2026

The Sparks found themselves in a familiar position, trailing by as many as 42 points in late in the fourth quarter. — John W. Davis, Oc Register, 21 Aug. 2026

Almost three decades ago, Joe Timko and Randy Neece were wandering through Disneyland, saw Goofy trailing around the gardens and made the connection. — Emma Madden, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Entering the game with Tampa Bay trailing 13-10, Daniels quickly regained the lead for the Bucs. — Rick Stroud, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Aug. 2026