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
Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 25 Mar. 2026
Shutter speeds typically range from 10 to 25 seconds when using wide-angle lenses, depending on focal length (longer lenses require shorter exposures to avoid star trailing).
—Jamie Carter, Space.com, 10 Mar. 2026
For weeds with trailing rhizomes like creeping Charlie, work your fingers beneath the rhizomes and remove as much of the trailing stems as possible.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 8 Mar. 2026
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
With less than two seconds left and Michigan State trailing by two, Kennedy Blair — who had already put up a career-best 30 points on 61 percent shooting — got into the paint.
—Chantel Jennings, New York Times, 5 Mar. 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
Theodore Tollefson, Twin Cities, 10 Apr. 2026
That’s good for second in the nation, trailing South Carolina by one-tenth of a percentage point.
—Mark Dee
april 9, Idaho Statesman, 9 Apr. 2026
Kimmell gained the Ducks’ zone, faking a slap shot and then curling back toward the blue line to find a trailing Haula.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 8 Apr. 2026
Every new breach arrives trailing the memory of earlier ones.
—Stephanie A, The Conversation, 8 Apr. 2026
Gage eventually entered the game, pitching a scoreless eighth with the Giants already trailing by two runs.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2026
The Sox went to the ninth trailing 2-0.
—Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2026
Just 70 minutes after the earthquake, SWOT passed over the Pacific roughly 375 miles (600 km) from the epicenter, imaging in high detail not only the tsunami's leading wave, but also a train of smaller waves trailing behind it.
—Stefanie Waldek, Space.com, 7 Apr. 2026
Thursday night, with the Mets trailing the San Francisco Giants by five runs, Bichette came up with Juan Soto on first base and only one out.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 3 Apr. 2026
Noun
Right now, only the team that’s trailing can attempt an onside kick.
—Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 25 Mar. 2026
Shutter speeds typically range from 10 to 25 seconds when using wide-angle lenses, depending on focal length (longer lenses require shorter exposures to avoid star trailing).
—Jamie Carter, Space.com, 10 Mar. 2026
For weeds with trailing rhizomes like creeping Charlie, work your fingers beneath the rhizomes and remove as much of the trailing stems as possible.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 8 Mar. 2026
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
With less than two seconds left and Michigan State trailing by two, Kennedy Blair — who had already put up a career-best 30 points on 61 percent shooting — got into the paint.
—Chantel Jennings, New York Times, 5 Mar. 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
Verb
She is tied for third in assists with 14, trailing only teammates Taylor Heise (16) and Britta Curl-Salemme (15).
—Theodore Tollefson, Twin Cities, 10 Apr. 2026
That’s good for second in the nation, trailing South Carolina by one-tenth of a percentage point.
—Mark Dee
april 9, Idaho Statesman, 9 Apr. 2026
Kimmell gained the Ducks’ zone, faking a slap shot and then curling back toward the blue line to find a trailing Haula.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 8 Apr. 2026
Every new breach arrives trailing the memory of earlier ones.
—Stephanie A, The Conversation, 8 Apr. 2026
Gage eventually entered the game, pitching a scoreless eighth with the Giants already trailing by two runs.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2026
The Sox went to the ninth trailing 2-0.
—Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2026
Just 70 minutes after the earthquake, SWOT passed over the Pacific roughly 375 miles (600 km) from the epicenter, imaging in high detail not only the tsunami's leading wave, but also a train of smaller waves trailing behind it.
—Stefanie Waldek, Space.com, 7 Apr. 2026
Thursday night, with the Mets trailing the San Francisco Giants by five runs, Bichette came up with Juan Soto on first base and only one out.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 3 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trailing
Noun
-
Video uploaded to social media shows Peralta speeding through the neighborhood with an NYPD squad car in pursuit.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The pursuit crossed into Frederick County, Maryland, where police said Leatherman was driving 120 mph at times.—
JT Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Kahan is from the Upper Valley, a quaint and seasonally verdant region encompassing parts of eastern Vermont and western New Hampshire, and sliced through by the Connecticut River—a scenic haven for canoers and for anglers chasing trout.—
Amanda Petrusich,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
The Santa Rosa Police Department said in a press release that dispatchers received multiple 911 calls about a female suspect with a large knife chasing people near the Safeway store and attempting to stab them.—
Carlos E. Castañeda,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The portable treadmill is designed to fit easily into your space, turning any room into a walking track with adjustable incline, remote control, and a display for tracking distance and calories.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Airborne tracking planes beamed live video of Orion’s descent back to Mission Control, showing the capsule jettison its parachute cover and deploy a series of chutes to stabilize its plunge toward the Pacific.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The broader mission goal is to demonstrate the capabilities that are considered critical to the success of future space missions, including establishing a permanent presence on the moon and ultimately pursuing missions deeper into space, including Mars.—
Michael Peregrine,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
-
This mission will target the south polar region, where companies and countries alike are pursuing the scientific and economic prospects of lunar water ice.—
Christopher Cokinos,
Scientific American,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Yes, the console is more powerful than the two base PS5 models (which also received price hikes), thanks to superior AI upscaling, better ray tracing, and a faster Wi-Fi chip.—
Will Greenwald,
PC Magazine,
2 Apr. 2026
-
After two cases were detected at the University of Florida at Gainesville, for instance, health-department officials performed contact tracing, ultimately reaching some 1,000 people, Fred Southwick, an infectious-disease specialist at the university, told me.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Oil prices dropped following the ceasefire announcement, but the war and the closure of the strait will have lasting impacts on farmers, said Seth Goldstein, a senior equity analyst at Morningstar, an investment research company.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Pop star Britney Spears has voluntarily checked into rehab following her DUI arrest in Southern California in March, a representative for the singer told CBS LA.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 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
-
Authorities said Shackelford helped by allowing inmates access to restricted areas, hiding drugs in a staff office ceiling, and escorting inmates through checkpoints to distribute the contraband.—
CBS News Atlanta Digital Team,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Part of the challenge for vessels and any potential ship-escorting operations through the Strait of Hormuz is that the room to maneuver is highly constricted.—
Sophie Tanno,
CNN Money,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Trailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trailing. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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