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
Relevance
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of trailing
Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2026
When the shutter is open for less time, star images are sharper because the complete exposure occurs before Earth's rotation causes star trailing.
—Tantse Walter, Space.com, 5 Mar. 2026
But his last league start came in early January against Brentford and he was substituted at half-time with Everton trailing.
—Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2026
Its one-year trailing return is in the eighth percentile.
—Michelle Fox, CNBC, 9 Feb. 2026
Satin pothos are gorgeous houseplants that are known for their large, thick leaves and luscious trailing vines.
—Cori Sears, The Spruce, 7 Feb. 2026
There were also trains galore, perhaps none longer than the 13-foot one trailing from the back of Doechii’s Roberto Cavalli dress.
—Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 1 Feb. 2026
Labor also sits at approximately 18% with the Greens trailing at 14% and the Lib Dems coming just behind at 13%.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 26 Jan. 2026
The key to UConn’s recalibration was Blanca Quinonez, who checked in off the bench three and a half minutes into the opening quarter with the team trailing, 10-9.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 24 Jan. 2026
Joshua Mellin, Travel + Leisure, 27 Feb. 2026
The Heat entered 1-22 this season when trailing after three quarters, 0-14 in that situation on the road.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 27 Feb. 2026
But the Hoyas kept the game within striking distance, trailing UConn by a single point at the end of the first thanks to a 4-for-7 start from 3-point range.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 27 Feb. 2026
The Broncos retook the lead out of the timeout and sparred back and forth with the Aztecs for the rest of the game, both leading and trailing by as many as six points.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 26 Feb. 2026
Groundcovers that spill naturally include Asian jasmine, frogfruit and trailing lantana.
—Kelley Bruss, Dallas Morning News, 26 Feb. 2026
The same goes for ground covers like hens and chicks or trailing plants like burro's tail.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 26 Feb. 2026
Riley scored nine points in the first half and East Carolina went into the break trailing 43-34.
—ABC News, 26 Feb. 2026
The Centurions completed a comeback victory over Camarillo in the semifinals after trailing 24-20 at halftime and 36-32 entering the fourth quarter.
—Tarek Fattal, Daily News, 26 Feb. 2026
Noun
The Heat led by as many as 14 points in Thursday’s first half, but the Nets made a run late in the second quarter to enter halftime trailing by only four points.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2026
When the shutter is open for less time, star images are sharper because the complete exposure occurs before Earth's rotation causes star trailing.
—Tantse Walter, Space.com, 5 Mar. 2026
But his last league start came in early January against Brentford and he was substituted at half-time with Everton trailing.
—Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2026
Its one-year trailing return is in the eighth percentile.
—Michelle Fox, CNBC, 9 Feb. 2026
Satin pothos are gorgeous houseplants that are known for their large, thick leaves and luscious trailing vines.
—Cori Sears, The Spruce, 7 Feb. 2026
There were also trains galore, perhaps none longer than the 13-foot one trailing from the back of Doechii’s Roberto Cavalli dress.
—Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 1 Feb. 2026
Labor also sits at approximately 18% with the Greens trailing at 14% and the Lib Dems coming just behind at 13%.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 26 Jan. 2026
The key to UConn’s recalibration was Blanca Quinonez, who checked in off the bench three and a half minutes into the opening quarter with the team trailing, 10-9.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 24 Jan. 2026
Verb
Instead, a small monkey darted between rocks, trailing older members of the troop.
—Joshua Mellin, Travel + Leisure, 27 Feb. 2026
The Heat entered 1-22 this season when trailing after three quarters, 0-14 in that situation on the road.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 27 Feb. 2026
But the Hoyas kept the game within striking distance, trailing UConn by a single point at the end of the first thanks to a 4-for-7 start from 3-point range.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 27 Feb. 2026
The Broncos retook the lead out of the timeout and sparred back and forth with the Aztecs for the rest of the game, both leading and trailing by as many as six points.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 26 Feb. 2026
Groundcovers that spill naturally include Asian jasmine, frogfruit and trailing lantana.
—Kelley Bruss, Dallas Morning News, 26 Feb. 2026
The same goes for ground covers like hens and chicks or trailing plants like burro's tail.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 26 Feb. 2026
Riley scored nine points in the first half and East Carolina went into the break trailing 43-34.
—ABC News, 26 Feb. 2026
The Centurions completed a comeback victory over Camarillo in the semifinals after trailing 24-20 at halftime and 36-32 entering the fourth quarter.
—Tarek Fattal, Daily News, 26 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trailing
Noun
-
For Lee, trusting his hair, makeup and costume team to get kabuki’s aesthetics exactly right freed him to focus on the drama — and on the film’s central question of what an artist is willing to sacrifice in the lifelong pursuit of beauty.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Setting off in pursuit was José María Zuloaga, a taciturn lieutenant colonel in the Mexican army supported by a band of irregulars.—
Carolina A. Miranda,
The Atlantic,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
There was an undercurrent of confidence across the collections, where designers weren’t chasing spectacle, but instead refining their codes and pushing them forward in thoughtful ways.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Instead of chasing truth, the writer chases validation.—
JD Barker,
Rolling Stone,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Israel, Qatar, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait and Bahrain closed their airspace, while Oman’s Muscat International Airport shut down and all flights were restricted over the United Arab Emirates, according to flight tracking website FlightRadar24.—
Brian Melley,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Students build complex formulas to perform everything from risk-and-return calculations for stock portfolios to mock video game avatar tracking systems.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Husso, who stopped 16 shots in the first period and 13 in both the second and third, had a timely performance amid speculation the Ducks are pursuing a backup goalie behind Lukas Dostal before Friday’s trade deadline.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Our first attempt at pursuing this logical path was the Drake Equation, which had, as its final term, the lifetime of an average intelligent, technologically advanced civilization.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The health department will also receive support from about a dozen entry-level epidemiologists provided by the CDC Foundation, an independent nonprofit that helps support the agency’s mission, who will increase capacity for case investigation, contact tracing and data management for a few months.—
Deidre McPhillips,
CNN Money,
27 Feb. 2026
-
The delicate structure of a gill, or the faint tracing of a nerve pathway — features that existed in living animals more than half a billion years ago — preserved with enough clarity for scientists to study them today.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Off-White, following a show in New York last season, will make its return to the Paris calendar on March 5.—
Laure Guilbault,
Vogue,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Despite dominating possession, the defending MLS champions trailed 2-0 at halftime following a 3-0 shutout in the MLS season opener at LAFC last weekend.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Mining sites face a similar issue, with arsenic concentrated in tailings near extraction areas.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Jan. 2026
-
Why the Boundary Waters Mine Is a Bad Trade Twin Metals skeptics also question where the copper would be processed, and how the millions of tons of mine tailings would be stored safely.—
Alex Robinson,
Outdoor Life,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
By late 1986, Iranian attacks on ships in the Gulf triggered a US decision to start reflagging and escorting vessels.—
Alaa Shahine Salha,
semafor.com,
4 Mar. 2026
-
In one call, a person told dispatch that an inmate was being treated and IDOC officers were escorting him.—
Shannon Tyler,
Idaho Statesman,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Trailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trailing. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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