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

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

Over a century later, the Himalayan blackberry has spread far beyond the modest backyard bounds its importers envisioned, opting instead to take over indiscriminately and displace the native trailing blackberry (Rubus ursinus) in the process. — The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 25 June 2026

Austria was in striking distance trailing by one goal until the final moments, when Messi scored his second goal. — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 June 2026

Verb

That is a walk-off grand slam hit by the home team when trailing by three runs in the final inning. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026

Later, Pickett tossed a rainbow down the field to running back Jonathon Brooks, who made an excellent two-handed catch with Thornton trailing him. — Charlotte Observer, 29 July 2026

Pastujov, a winger who just turned 23, led the San Diego Gulls in points last season with 57 in 71 appearances, trailing only veteran Justin Bailey for tops on the team in goals. — Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 27 July 2026

Trout also is now fourth on the Angels’ all-time list with 1,014 singles, trailing Anderson (1,572), Darin Erstad (1,082) and Brian Downing (1,062). — Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2026

With the Royals trailing 2-1, Perez led off the seventh inning with his 401-foot blast off Kyle Finnegan over the Tigers bullpen in left. — Dave Hogg, Chicago Tribune, 25 July 2026

Last year, Cook had 39 carries of 10+ yards, trailing only De’Von Achane (40). — Michael Salfino, New York Times, 24 July 2026

Bears continue to flag the company’s rich valuation—the company trades at a trailing price-to-earnings ratio of close to 60—and concerns about the pricing of ServiceNow’s products. — Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 23 July 2026

Howard makes the second-most 3-pointers per game in the league — trailing only Toronto’s Marina Mabrey, who’s also competing. — Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 22 July 2026