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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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
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Recent Examples of trailing
Christina Perrier, InStyle, 11 Jan. 2026
Brown scored 27 points and committed five turnovers in the loss, including one with 47 seconds remaining and the Celtics trailing, 95-93.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 11 Jan. 2026
Tottenham took the lead against Bournemouth through Mathys Tel but entered half-time trailing after goals from Evanilson and Eli Junior Kroupi.
—Sam Joseph, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
Mosley pulled his starters with four and-a-half minutes left in the third quarter and the Magic trailing by 26 points.
—Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Jan. 2026
Old garden roses can be climbing, trailing, or bushy shrubs.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 20 Dec. 2025
Miami scored on five of six possessions at one point — the one non-scoring drive came on a kneel down to end the first half — then sent a message to both the Panthers and the CFP selection committee after Pitt called a timeout trailing by 24 with under 2 minutes to go.
—CBS News, 29 Nov. 2025
Curry was limping throughout the fourth quarter of the Warriors’ 104-100 loss to the Rockets on Wednesday night and eventually went to the locker room in the game’s final minute with Golden State trailing by five points.
—Michael Nowels, Mercury News, 27 Nov. 2025
These countries are struggling to cope with an export juggernaut — one that is hyper-competitive both at the frontiers of technology, and at the trailing edge.
—Andy Browne, semafor.com, 13 Nov. 2025
Nathan Dunn, Kansas City Star, 13 Jan. 2026
With the season on the line — fourth-and-11, less than a minute to play, trailing by four — Hurts and the Eagles burned a timeout.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 13 Jan. 2026
Brown’s other drop came on a third-and-5 from the Philadelphia 40 with a little more than two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and the Eagles trailing by four.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2026
And the San Francisco 49ers upset the Philadelphia Eagles after trailing by two points on the road with seven minutes to go.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 12 Jan. 2026
After coming out of the game briefly three times in the first half, which ended with Boise State trailing 50-29, Meadow played all 20 minutes of the second half and the entirety of the three five-minute OT periods.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 7 Jan. 2026
Curry fouled Dunn with 42 seconds left and the Warriors trailing 101-100 after Curry's back-to-back 3-pointers.
—CBS News, 6 Jan. 2026
The Warriors made only 3-of-24 field goal attempts in the third quarter, trailing by as many as 14 points.
—Law Murray, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
Simons’ efficiency differential — how much better the team is per 100 possessions with him on the court than off it, as calculated by Cleaning the Glass — has climbed to second-best on Boston’s roster, trailing only Gonzalez.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 6 Jan. 2026
Noun
The mocha-mousse dress featured long sleeves, a plunging V-neckline, ab-baring cutouts, crisscross designs, and a wispy trailing skirt.
—Christina Perrier, InStyle, 11 Jan. 2026
Brown scored 27 points and committed five turnovers in the loss, including one with 47 seconds remaining and the Celtics trailing, 95-93.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 11 Jan. 2026
Tottenham took the lead against Bournemouth through Mathys Tel but entered half-time trailing after goals from Evanilson and Eli Junior Kroupi.
—Sam Joseph, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
Mosley pulled his starters with four and-a-half minutes left in the third quarter and the Magic trailing by 26 points.
—Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Jan. 2026
Old garden roses can be climbing, trailing, or bushy shrubs.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 20 Dec. 2025
Miami scored on five of six possessions at one point — the one non-scoring drive came on a kneel down to end the first half — then sent a message to both the Panthers and the CFP selection committee after Pitt called a timeout trailing by 24 with under 2 minutes to go.
—CBS News, 29 Nov. 2025
Curry was limping throughout the fourth quarter of the Warriors’ 104-100 loss to the Rockets on Wednesday night and eventually went to the locker room in the game’s final minute with Golden State trailing by five points.
—Michael Nowels, Mercury News, 27 Nov. 2025
These countries are struggling to cope with an export juggernaut — one that is hyper-competitive both at the frontiers of technology, and at the trailing edge.
—Andy Browne, semafor.com, 13 Nov. 2025
Verb
The Comets had entered the fourth quarter trailing 6-5 before a pair of Wave goals to open the final quarter created a three-goal deficit.
—Nathan Dunn, Kansas City Star, 13 Jan. 2026
With the season on the line — fourth-and-11, less than a minute to play, trailing by four — Hurts and the Eagles burned a timeout.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 13 Jan. 2026
Brown’s other drop came on a third-and-5 from the Philadelphia 40 with a little more than two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and the Eagles trailing by four.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2026
And the San Francisco 49ers upset the Philadelphia Eagles after trailing by two points on the road with seven minutes to go.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 12 Jan. 2026
After coming out of the game briefly three times in the first half, which ended with Boise State trailing 50-29, Meadow played all 20 minutes of the second half and the entirety of the three five-minute OT periods.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 7 Jan. 2026
Curry fouled Dunn with 42 seconds left and the Warriors trailing 101-100 after Curry's back-to-back 3-pointers.
—CBS News, 6 Jan. 2026
The Warriors made only 3-of-24 field goal attempts in the third quarter, trailing by as many as 14 points.
—Law Murray, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
Simons’ efficiency differential — how much better the team is per 100 possessions with him on the court than off it, as calculated by Cleaning the Glass — has climbed to second-best on Boston’s roster, trailing only Gonzalez.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 6 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trailing
Noun
-
This commitment marks a dramatic shift from Chicago’s lukewarm pursuit last February, when the Ricketts family ownership group authorized team president Jed Hoyer to offer Bregman a four-year, $115 million contract.—
Patrick Mooney,
New York Times,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Giroux and Flowers said the film explores Greenberg’s pursuit as professional boundaries are tested.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Two of the monkeys had applauded the event with hopping and grunts, but the other three had shot like arrows into the trees, chasing after the peculiar bird that had remained indifferent to their antics.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Even in an era when AI can write code, Brin cautioned students against chasing—or abandoning—fields of study based solely on automation fears.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
This ensuing odyssey rapidly evolves from a mere tracking expedition into a brutal test of endurance and a profound, sensory initiation.—
Robert Lang,
Deadline,
7 Jan. 2026
-
People are going all out to make their cards visually appealing and fun to use, turning goal-tracking into a hands-on activity that’s both satisfying and motivating.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
If and when the Ravens’ Eric DeCosta calls Sean Payton on Vance Joseph — or Giants GM Joe Schoen, or Raiders GM John Spytek, or one of six organizations pursuing the Broncos’ defensive coordinator for a head-coaching gig — Payton will tell them of a man who has a presence, now.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
10 Jan. 2026
-
The growing pace of crypto ATM fraud has some policymakers pursuing bans and others asking why the nation is blanketed in these machines in the first place.—
Kevin Williams,
CNBC,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Trying to track and contain a highly contagious virus—which requires interventions such as testing and rapid contact tracing—will tax public-health departments, too.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
18 Dec. 2025
-
Part of Save the Children’s work is family tracing, which means trying to find out whether a relative is already in the camp or has arrived from a different route to a nearby area.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
26 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Congressional hearings about the Abbey Gate attack began in March 2023, following initial investigations by the Department of Defense in late 2021.—
Alexandra Rockey Fleming,
PEOPLE,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Kiefer Sutherland was arrested following an alleged altercation with a rideshare driver.—
Lori A Bashian,
FOXNews.com,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In Zambia, a Chinese mining company spilled toxic tailings into waterways.—
Nicholas Kusnetz,
Wired News,
27 Dec. 2025
-
Current industry practice involves destroying residual cyanide in waste tailings.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
On Tuesday afternoon, the sidewalk in front of the facility had become a hive of activity – including the return of Nick Shirley – as media and Shirley supporters watched adults escorting children in and out.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
1 Jan. 2026
-
He is monitored with a video camera that is attached to his escorting officer.—
Danielle Bacher,
PEOPLE,
20 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Trailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trailing. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
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