trailing 1 of 2

Definition of trailingnext
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
Place one tall plant in the back, one medium plant in front of it and one trailing or low plant at the base. Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 21 Apr. 2026 Such was the case at Lincoln-Way West on Friday when Balta came up with two on and two out and Lincoln-Way East trailing by one run. Tony Baranek, Chicago Tribune, 18 Apr. 2026 The Padres won a game after entering the ninth inning trailing by four-plus runs for the first time since June 14, 2019. ABC News, 15 Apr. 2026 In the opening salvo, the Ducks drew first blood but went into the break trailing, also engaging in a pair of fights. Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 13 Apr. 2026 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
Verb
With officers trailing behind, the suspect sped through a red light, nearly striking cross traffic at an intersection. Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026 Susac pinch-hit for Bailey on Tuesday with two outs in the ninth inning and the Giants trailing by one run, coming several feet short of hitting a game-tying homer. Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2026 Now in his 18th season, Durant played the second-most total minutes of any player this season, trailing only 23-year-old teammate Amen Thompson. Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2026 Adding some trailing plants on the rimmed top is ideal for those inspired by biophilic design. Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 16 Apr. 2026 To that end, Bank of America screened the Russell 1000, searching for names in the second quintile for trailing dividend yield. Darla Mercado, Cfp®, CNBC, 16 Apr. 2026 Qualls and Demuth have both led various GOP straw polls since their campaigns launched, with MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell typically trailing behind. Mary Murphy, Twin Cities, 16 Apr. 2026 With the Tigers trailing 9-7 in the ninth, Gleyber Torres hit a leadoff single and reliever Lucas Erceg (0-1) walked Kevin McGonigle after a successful ABS challenge. ABC News, 16 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trailing
Noun
  • With SpaceX, Muskism’s pursuit of state symbiosis converged with the privatizing impulses of the early 21st century to find a deeper channel.
    Ben Tarnoff, Big Think, 23 Apr. 2026
  • According to court records, Lawrence was arrested and charged with multiple offenses in March 2025 after a police pursuit.
    Harry Harris, Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Towns recorded his first block just before halftime, chasing Atlanta’s Nickeil Alexander-Walker down for a rejection of his driving layup attempt.
    Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 20 Apr. 2026
  • Pennsylvania authorities are asking for the public’s help in identifying a violent mob of teens accused of chasing a college student into a campus residence hall and attacking them over the weekend.
    Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 20 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
  • With the Moon meeting Jupiter in your 9th House, big ideas around travel, learning, or growth feel expansive and worth pursuing.
    Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 22 Apr. 2026
  • Mining the Miramax library is a focus for Paramount TV Studios, along with pursuing Paramount film IP and developing original ideas.
    Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 22 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
  • The declines come after a winning week for Wall Street, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite climbing to all-time highs last week following a ceasefire between Iran and Lebanon.
    Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 20 Apr. 2026
  • The 16-team field is set following the Play-In Tournament, which featured several close games.
    Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Twin Metals wants to build an underground copper-nickel mine, processing facility and tailings storage facility along Birch Lake, which flows into the BWCAW via the Kawishiwi River.
    Jimmy Lovrien, Twin Cities, 16 Apr. 2026
  • Mining sites face a similar issue, with arsenic concentrated in tailings near extraction areas.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 15 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • The Russian mission included two supersonic Tu-22M3s, as well as about 10 fighters — both SU-30s and SU-35s — that took turns escorting the larger strategic bombers, according to the statement.
    ABC News, ABC News, 21 Apr. 2026
  • Northington allegedly threatened and then assaulted the deputy who was escorting him to his cell.
    JT Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Trailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trailing. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.

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