to shadow

Examples

• All

• And if a person left the group to get groceries or do some errand, they would be shadowed by another person.

• The police were still shadowing him.

  CompleX (2021)

• I'd like to find out, shadow you for the day.

  Kit Kittredge: An American Girl (2008)

• They let me shadow them.

  Xtinction: Predator X (2010)

• Exactly how much longer do I have to expect you to be shadowing me on my cases like this?

  Girl with Green Eyes (1964)

• And he said, well, that's great because I'm wondering if you want to come and shadow me and see what I do for a living.

• Jack's going to be shadowing me for the next two or three days.

  Midnight in a Toy Shop (1930)

• I leaned forward on the balls of my feet, shadowing his every movement.

  Fiction book (1999)

• A homeless woman is shadowing a college-age girl walking with her boyfriend.

  Fiction book (2002)

• The detective decided to shadow the suspect to gather more information about his activities.

Synonyms

F

to follow

vsto shadow

352 4.2

To secretly watch someone to see what they do

is about keeping close secretly to watch or monitor someone's actions

S

to stalk

vsto shadow

• Offensive

195 7.4

To follow someone secretly to frighten them or to keep appearing in a person's thoughts

is about secret watching to monitor actions, not usually with harm intent

S

to spy

vsto shadow

132 4.4

To secretly watch someone to get information for a government or company

focuses on keeping close behind to observe immediate actions

S

to snoop

vsto shadow

89 5.7

To secretly look for someone's private information or watch them

is broader, focusing on general secret monitoring not only private gossip

T

to tail

vsto shadow

52 5.9

To follow someone closely and secretly to watch them

emphasizes secret monitoring rather than purposeful capture

T

to trail

vsto shadow

50 2.5

Follow someone closely to try to catch them

is mainly about secret observation rather than aiming to capture

S

to surveil

vsto shadow

9 8.4

To watch people or places closely to get information and stop crime

is more about keeping close secretly to observe personal actions

Idioms

I

in the shadow of

38 6.5

Close to a larger person or thing so you feel less important

B

beyond a shadow of a doubt

7 4.2

Completely certain with no doubt

C

to cast a shadow

4 6.2

Make a person, event, or situation seem less happy and less hopeful

L

to live in the shadow

2 8.0

To be less known or important because someone else is more famous

A

a shadow of its former self

• Informal

1 7.1

A person or thing that is much weaker and less impressive than before

A

afraid of one's own shadow

• Informal

1 8.4

Very easily frightened and nervous, often jumping at small noises

T

to take the shadow for the substance

• Archaic

9.9

To think an appearance or small sign is the real thing

S

shadow for the substance

• Literature

9.9

To mistake how something looks for how it really is

Compounds

S

shadow of doubt

• Informal

2 3.8

A small feeling that something might not be true

S

shadow play

1 7.4

A show that uses hand or puppet shadows on a screen to tell a story

S

shadow banking system

• Specialized

1 7.7

Financial companies that lend, borrow, or manage money without normal bank rules

S

shadow box

1 5.9

A shallow box with a clear front that shows and protects small items like jewelry

R

rain shadow

• Specialized

1 6.7

An area with little rain that lies behind mountains

S

shadow cabinet

• Literature

1 6.7

A group of senior opposition politicians who would become government ministers if their party won power

S

shadow show

7.7

A performance that uses figures and light to make moving shadows on a screen

S

soft shadow

3.8

A shadow with no sharp edges because the light spreads

How Close

to stalk

• Offensive

195 7.4

to tail

52 5.9

to shadow

27 6.0

to follow

∞ 1.0

to watch

∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

Etymology