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to tail

to tail

52 5.9
To follow someone closely and secretly to watch them
  • verb
  • /teɪl/
translation icon : seguir a
  • Suddenly, Jimmy spots two FBI men who had been tailing him, dozing in their unmarked car.

You used to want a tail or you used to want to tail.

Examples

  • The detective decided to tail the suspect to gather more evidence about his activities.

  • You've been tailing me for the past 15 minutes.

  • Just tail her home from the library.

  • It's not easy driving a truck slow enough to tail a boy on a bike.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • Guys tailing him to the bathroom.

  • Yeah, he heard we were lab partners, so he's having me tail you and find out what I can.

  • -Shaw, we have three cars tailing us.

  • - He was tailing a guy named Thursby.

  • Everyone had realized that Amari and his surveillance squad had tailed the targets after the drops.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • She agreed to tail her friend during the concert to ensure she didn't get lost in the crowd.

Synonyms

to track
vsto tail
2.3

To follow where a person or thing goes

is typically more physical and secretive, aiming to catch a person
to go after
vsto tail
839 2.1

Try to get something you want or follow someone to catch them

is more about close covert following rather than broad attempts to obtain something
to follow
vsto tail
352 4.2

To secretly watch someone to see what they do

is more about close covert following that can end in capture
to trail
vsto tail
50 2.5

Follow someone closely to try to catch them

is broader, including secret observation as well as trying to catch
to shadow
vsto tail
27 6.0

To follow someone closely and secretly to watch what they do

is more about secret watching but also often aims to catch someone
to dog
vsto tail
23 6.8

To follow someone closely and keep causing them trouble

is often secret and observational rather than loud or aggressive pursuit
pursuing
vsto tail
3.2

Following someone to try to catch them

is usually more secretive and focused on close trailing rather than general pursuit

Antonyms

1.0

To go with someone and show them the way to a place

Idioms

17 7.9

To follow someone closely and keep bothering them

1 8.4

A small, unimportant part that controls the whole thing

A very short time that means something will happen soon

1 7.5

To keep doing the same task without getting anywhere

To feel very successful and have control of your life

1 8.8

Beat someone by a lot

7.7

To waste time on busy work and make no progress

Phrasal Verbs

7 7.0

To run away quickly because you are afraid

to high-tail
  • Informal
5 8.0

To leave a place very quickly to avoid danger or trouble

To cut off both ends of a vegetable before cooking

Compounds

13 3.5

The last part of something, especially a period or event

11 8.5

A tall marsh plant with a brown sausage-shaped seed head and long flat leaves used for making mats and seats

7 3.3

The tail meat of a lobster that people eat

4 2.4

A feather that grows on a bird's tail

tail rotor
  • Specialized
4 6.8

A small spinning blade at the tail of a helicopter that keeps it from spinning

long tail
  • Specialized
2 4.9

A market where many rare items, each sold in small numbers, together make a large part of sales

2 3.3

A tail that is long and helps an animal or kite keep balance

1 2.8

A tail that curves into a small spiral

1 3.7

A part that sticks out at the back of something like an animal's rear

1 1.0

A tail moving from side to side to show happiness or excitement

tail fin
  • Archaic
1 6.4

A decorative metal piece on a car's rear that looks like a small wing

tail fin
  • Specialized
1 4.2

A vertical surface at the plane's tail that helps keep it steady in flight

vertical tail
  • Specialized
1 6.0

The upright fin on a plane's tail that keeps it pointed straight

1 3.0

A deer with white fur under its tail

A small brown and white moth whose caterpillars eat the leaves of fruit and shade trees

brush-tail porcupine
  • Specialized
9.9

A large animal with sharp spines and a brush of stiff hairs at the end of its tail

A wild pigeon from western North America that is larger than city pigeons

fee tail
  • Archaic
9.9

A way of owning land that passes only to family and cannot be sold

2.1

A strip attached to the end of a kite to keep it steady in the air

9.9

A plant that grows near water with long curved spikes of small white flowers

lizard's-tail family
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of herbs that have a strong smell and live for many years

A long thin white cloud high in the sky that looks like a horse's tail

A small flying insect with a white furry body and a yellow tuft at the tail

horizontal tail
  • Specialized
4.7

A flat surface at the tail of a plane that keeps the nose level and controls up-and-down movement

A tropical American plant with long, hanging stems and bright red flowers

rat-tail file
  • Specialized
9.5

A thin metal tool with a round taper used to smooth small round holes and curves

9.9

A small brown tree shrew from Malaysia with a bare tail fringed by stiff hairs at the tip

piece of tail
  • Offensive
9.9

Someone treated only for sex, not as a real person

3.1

A flat fin at a fish's rear used to push and steer it in water

2.3

A red light at the back of a car that shows it to drivers behind

tail assembly
  • Specialized
7.0

The rear part of a plane that helps it stay steady and turn

tail bone
  • Specialized
3.6

The small bone at the very end of the spine

tail coat
  • Formal
4.5

A formal evening jacket for men with a short front and long tails at the back

9.9

A tropical plant with large bright leaves and a long showy flower spike

9.9

A large brown bird with long, pointed tail feathers that lives in open grasslands

X-tail
  • Specialized
9.8

A tail design for an aircraft with four moving parts in an X shape that help control its direction

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

tail infinitive
tailed past
tailed past participle
tailing present participle
tails third person singular

Etymology

The verb tail comes from the same image of staying at someone's back like a tail, so to tail someone is to follow them closely and secretly.