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

Young had three turnovers, got sacked five times, threw for a mere 163 yards and left in the fourth quarter with the Panthers trailing, 43-6. — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 26 Oct. 2026

This attractive trailing vine is a great starter plant for a lower-light space. — Alexandra Jones, The Spruce, 21 Oct. 2026

In the third inning, and again in the fifth inning, Tommy Edman comes to bat with Miguel Rojas on first base, none out, and the Dodgers trailing, 1-0. — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026

But in the second half, and with the Seahawks trailing, Fleury opened up the offense, much to the team’s benefit. — Andrew Destin, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026

Van Dam said the Dutch were surprised to win the right to host the Solheim Cup, with golf trailing well behind in the list of most popular sports in the Netherlands fronted by soccer, tennis and field hockey. — ABC News, 7 Sep. 2026

The pilot can then adjust speed and make turns by pulling steering brake lines to deform the trailing edge or shifting weight in the harness. — New Atlas, 4 Sep. 2026

Its leading edge sweeps back 37 degrees, with a 28-degree sweep along the trailing edge. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 18 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

Verb

Located on the seventh floor of the hotel, with views out across Vienna’s rooftops, it’s moodily lit with trailing ferns hanging from the ceiling. — Irenie Forshaw, TheWeek, 5 Nov. 2026

As of Wednesday's close, Sunrun shares were trading at less than 6x trailing earnings. — Harvey Stober, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2026

Fellow incumbent Rod Beck was trailing to Democratic challenger Michael Fitzgerald. — Idaho Statesman, 4 Nov. 2026

In California, Prop 40, a one-time 5% tax on the state’s billionaires, was trailing 57% to 43% late Tuesday, with votes still being counted. — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2026

Reed’s view Putting California’s billionaire tax on the ballot, which was trailing in early results but remained too close to call Wednesday, may have felt like a crusade against the rich and powerful. — Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 4 Nov. 2026

In addition to his fellow Democrats’ win nationwide, two marquee ballot measures Newsom inveighed against fell or are trailing in early voting returns. — Liam Russell, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026

Although Ossoff is heavily favored to win reelection, Bottoms is trailing Jackson slightly in the RealClearPolitics average of polls heading into Election Day. — Anna Giaritelli, The Washington Examiner, 29 Oct. 2026

Bulls coach Tiago Splitter wanted to let his team play free in the clutch, opting to forego a timeout to draw up a play when Giddey secured a rebound with 24 seconds left and the Bulls trailing by only three points. — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2026