trailing 1 of 2

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

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trailing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of trail

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 trailing
Noun
Today, even with the P/E reduced to roughly 110x trailing and 60x forward earnings, investors are increasingly questioning the sustainability of such a valuation, especially as growth in subscription revenue slows from peak levels. Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025 With six seconds remaining and Ohio State trailing by a point, the Buckeyes faced third-and-20 at the Oregon 38-yard line. Mike Defabo, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025 The Cubs got the first two on in the eighth trailing by a run, but with runners at second and third, the next three hitters — Ian Happ, Kyle Tucker and Carson Kelly — struck out. Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2025 Morejón replaced Yu Darvish to start the fifth inning with the Padres trailing by a run on Tuesday. Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Aug. 2025
Verb
With the Bears trailing by as many as 10 points late in the game, former USC star long snapper Jake Olson sent a message to Williams on social media. Noah Camras, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025 After trailing 12-10 early in the second half, Denver scored 10 unanswered points to pull away with the late win. Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025 Daily reports from the Election Department show GOP strongholds beating early-vote numbers from 2020, while traditionally Democratic areas are mostly trailing. Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 8 Sep. 2025 Shares remain 2% lower over the past year, trailing the S&P 500’s double-digit rise. Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025 If and when the Patriots are trailing, opponents will be free to tee off on an O-line that may field a single above-average pass-blocker this year. Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 31 Aug. 2025 Golden State entered Sunday’s matchup against the Fever with a magic number of 4, which is the combined number of Valkyries wins and the trailing Los Angeles Sparks losses needed for the expansion franchise to clinch a playoff spot. Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 31 Aug. 2025 He was replaced from the lineup in the fifth inning, with the A’s trailing 3-2. Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 30 Aug. 2025 After trailing all night long and pushing back Huntington Beach’s momentum swings time and again, Trabuco Hills grabbed the lead with 39 seconds remaining, as Luke Hoffman plowed across the goal line to erase a 12-point fourth-quarter deficit and take the season opener 20-19. Zach Cavanagh, Oc Register, 30 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trailing
Noun
  • The Regency-era romantic drama follows the lives of esteemed families of the British high society and their romantic pursuits through the lens of mysterious gossip columnist, Lady Whistledown.
    Stephanie Wenger, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
  • Richard Hughes’ reputation is at an all-time high, given the success of his negotiations with Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk last season, allied with his successful pursuits of Wirtz, Isak, Hugo Ekitike, et al.
    The Athletic UK Staff, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Ecuador are a couple of points behind Brazil and sit in the middle of the chasing pack, but that is not the whole story.
    Jack Lang, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Rather than chasing every trend or asset class, invest where your heritage, relationships, and insight give you natural advantage.
    Francois Botha, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Julz Arney, Apple's senior director of fitness technologies, said the AirPods Pro 3 will offer heart rate sensing and calorie tracking, in addition to 50 workouts that can be started solely through the earbuds.
    Greta Cross, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2025
  • The tracking request follows previous work for the uncrewed Artemis 1 mission in 2022, which saw 10 volunteer organizations track Orion on its trip to lunar orbit and back.
    Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • But Stander and other preservationists are pursuing other avenues and got a boost last month.
    Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2025
  • Here, Fallon supports veterans pursuing entrepreneurship through acquisition at precisely the moment a generation of owners is retiring.
    Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Each investigation into a case includes identifying and reaching out to people who may have been exposed by the person who tested positive for measles, a process known as contact tracing.
    Madeline Heim, jsonline.com, 29 Aug. 2025
  • But the crayoned tracing of Jaron’s hand above Goldie’s head was almost invisible.
    Annie Proulx, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Although not yet confirmed, the American team is expected to make a scouting visit to Bethpage Black following their appearance at the Silverado Resort.
    Julio Cesar Valdera Morales, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025
  • At the WellChild Awards in London on Monday, May 8, Harry, 40, chatted with 13-year-old Grace Tutt, a Special Recognition winner who uses a wheelchair following a bus crash.
    Erin Hill, People.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The sand-like tailings connect the mainland with the larger rocky island in Lake Superior, and some visitors scramble up its steep face to the top.
    Duluth News Tribune, Twin Cities, 18 Aug. 2025
  • 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
Verb
  • Turner then was seen going into the same restroom and, moments later, escorting Mitchell out.
    Chris Ramirez, jsonline.com, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Multiple armed security could be seen escorting Singh Pannun at the rally.
    Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Trailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trailing. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

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