trail 1 of 2

trail

2 of 2

verb

as in to track
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

Synonym Chooser

How is the word trail distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of trail are chase, follow, and pursue. While all these words mean "to go after or on the track of something or someone," trail may stress a following of tracks or traces rather than a visible object.

trail deer
trailed a suspect across the country

When would chase be a good substitute for trail?

While in some cases nearly identical to trail, chase implies going swiftly after and trying to overtake something fleeing or running.

a dog chasing a cat

When is it sensible to use follow instead of trail?

The meanings of follow and trail largely overlap; however, follow puts less emphasis upon speed or intent to overtake.

friends followed me home in their car

Where would pursue be a reasonable alternative to trail?

The words pursue and trail can be used in similar contexts, but pursue suggests a continuing effort to overtake, reach, or attain.

pursued the criminal through narrow streets

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 trail
Noun
The trail camera in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic recorded a mother leopard, her three cubs and an unrelated male together in a sunny clearing, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Azerbaijan said in a March 2 Facebook post. Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2025 The Vézère Valley has 420 miles of marked trails winding through forest and meadow. Ashlea Halpern, AFAR Media, 6 Mar. 2025
Verb
Barely a minute into the game, Mission Hills trailed 4-3. The San Diego Union Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Mar. 2025 On Tuesday, the Sharks never trailed as Ryker Cisarik hit a 3-pointer on the game’s first shot. Walter Villa, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for trail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trail
Noun
  • These unfavorable political circumstances for Hochul would seem to set up a primary challenge from the left, the traditional path to denying incumbent officeholders renomination in Democratic primaries.
    David Mark, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 28 Feb. 2025
  • Instead of adding controls that employees bypass, design security that works with human nature—make secure paths feel faster than workarounds and use AI to suggest natural access levels.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • The same track comes in just one space below that lofty position, at No. 3, on the Official Physical Singles chart.
    Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
  • The track was written by John and his longtime collaborator Bernie Taupin, as well as Brandi Carlile and Andrew Watt.
    Rania Aniftos, Billboard, 27 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • This synthesis — called hybrid intelligence — ensures that technology addresses real needs rather than chasing novelty for novelty’s sake.
    Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
  • Juno likes cats a little too much and would do best in a forever home without a feline friend to chase.
    Trish Stinger and, Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • However, many locales around the world don't allow e-unis on public roads, footpaths or even bike lanes, restricting their use to private land or maybe business parks and university campuses with permission.
    Paul Ridden, New Atlas, 24 Feb. 2025
  • There are no cars or even roads on the two-square-mile volcanic outcrop, though footpaths are traversable by donkey.
    Oscar Holland, CNN, 22 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Crimes have to be recorded while there are still traces of them, said Vasyl Rozhko, founder of the Ukrainian Heritage Monitoring Lab.
    Leah Asmelash, CNN, 8 Mar. 2025
  • An evaluation of errors through manual trace examination proves to be both prolonged and susceptible to human mistakes.
    Sai Sandeep Ogety, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Despite being one of the strongest teams, with no government funding, the U.S. Olympians face many financial struggles while pursuing their dreams.
    Paras J. Haji, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
  • Otherwise, there is absolutely no indication that Russia won’t wait and regroup and pursue the same goals later on—in other words, subjugating Ukraine, carrying out regime change, and making sure that Ukraine remains essentially in the Russian sphere of influence.
    Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 5 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Weighing Permanent Residency Options There are multiple pathways to permanent residency in the U.S. 1.
    Muhammed Uzum, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
  • The hope is that, after surviving initial failures, companies like Intuitive Machines will learn from their mistakes and open a low-cost, reliable pathway to the lunar surface.
    Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 7 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • By analyzing digital footprints, including social media presence and other online behaviors, companies can authenticate users invisibly, minimizing disruptions in their experience.
    Tamas Kadar, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025
  • Originally a home for music videos and reruns of popular Black sitcoms, BET developed a footprint in news, stand-up comedy, talk shows, reality and original series programming, with projects from Tyler Perry, Lee Daniels and Kevin Hart.
    Derek Lawrence, Variety, 26 Feb. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Trail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trail. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

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