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

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

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

Verb

With the Mets trailing 4-3, Brett Baty worked a leadoff walk against Yovanny Cruz (0-1). — ABC News, 15 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

Across the Nasdaq 100 universe, the index of large-cap tech companies Anthropic would join post-IPO, the average company trades at roughly 34 times trailing earnings and 25 times forward earnings. — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2026

Bezos, 62, currently ranks as the third-wealthiest person in the world with a net worth of nearly $272 billion (trailing only Elon Musk and Google’s Larry Page), according to Forbes. — Todd Spangler, Variety, 14 Aug. 2026

Marina Mabrey scored 14 of her 23 points in the fourth quarter, when the Tempo got within three after trailing by 18 late in the third. — CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026

However, a July 28 poll from Texas Public Opinion Research showed Hinojosa trailing Republican Abbott by 3 percentage points. — Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2026

However, with the Yankees trailing by two runs, Lombard struck out to end the eighth, stranding two baserunners. — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 2026

Its long, trailing vines can spill over a hanging basket or shelf or creep along a credenza. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 6 Aug. 2026