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Glite Dictionary
🥾 A path 👣 A mark left 🧩 A series of clues 🐢 To fall behind 🕵️ To follow secretly 🐕 To drag behind
to trail

to trail

50 2.5
Follow someone closely to try to catch them
  • verb
  • /treɪl/
translation icon : seguir
  • While hiking, we saw some footprints and wondered if someone had trailed this way before us.

Examples

Synonyms

to follow
vsto trail
∞ 1.0

To move behind someone or go along the same path

adds a clear purpose to catch rather than mere movement behind
to track
vsto trail
∞ 2.3

To follow where a person or thing goes

places stronger emphasis on catching rather than only gathering information
to chase
vsto trail
855 1.0

To run after someone or something to catch them

follows with intent to catch but not necessarily with speed
to go after
vsto trail
839 2.1

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

focuses on following to capture rather than simply making an effort
to trace
vsto trail
455 3.3

To follow and find where something began

focuses on pursuing to catch someone rather than investigating origins
to hunt
vsto trail
322 1.0

To chase someone or something without stopping to catch them

is about following to catch but with less implied relentlessness
to tail
vsto trail
52 5.9

To follow someone closely and secretly to watch them

is about catching rather than the secret surveillance focus
to shadow
vsto trail
27 6.0

To follow someone closely and secretly to watch what they do

implies capture intent rather than mainly watching or monitoring
to dog
vsto trail
23 6.8

To follow someone closely and keep causing them trouble

is similar but not always as persistent or harassing
to give chase
vsto trail
11 4.1

Start running after someone or something to catch them

means to follow to catch but without the sudden start emphasis
to track down
vsto trail
9 4.6

To follow wild animals until you catch or kill them

is general pursuit of people or things rather than animal hunting
to chase after
vsto trail
4 1.9

To run after someone or something to catch them

describes following to catch but can be slower or less urgent

Antonyms

to lead
∞ 1.0

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

Idioms

to blaze a trail
  • Informal
4 5.3

To do something new first so other people can follow

Phrasal Verbs

to hit the trail
4 4.9

To start a trip by walking in the countryside

to throw off the trail
1 7.7

To give false clues so people do not find the truth

Compounds

paper trail
37 4.0

Papers like emails or receipts that show what someone did

mountain trail
2 2.5

A path in the mountains for walking or hiking

Chisholm Trail
1 9.3

An old route in the United States where cowboys drove cattle from Texas to Kansas in the late 1800s

Indian trail
  • US
1 6.9

A path through wild land made long ago by Native people in North America

deer trail
1 3.9

A narrow path through woods or fields made by deer walking

trail bike
1 3.3

A light motorcycle made for riding on rough unpaved paths with strong tires and springs to absorb bumps

trail boss
  • Jargon
1 8.3

A person who leads and cares for a herd of cattle on a long drive

breadcrumb trail
1 4.8

A series of small clues that lead step by step to a solution

horse-trail
1 3.0

A path for people who ride horses

Santa Fe Trail
1 5.5

An old route from Missouri to New Mexico used by settlers moving west in the 1800s

trail riding
1 3.1

Riding a horse or bike along trails for fun

ski trail
  • UK
1 3.0

A prepared path on a mountain for people to ski

black diamond trail
  • Jargon
8.4

A very difficult ski slope marked with a black diamond

blazoned trail
6.0

A path clearly marked with signs or paint to show the way

cattle trail
  • US
2.8

A path used to drive cattle to market or to other grazing land

condensation trail
4.6

A thin white cloud that a plane leaves behind in the sky

Death Trail
9.9

A hiking path that is very dangerous and often causes injury or death for hikers

mucky trail
4.2

A path that is wet and covered in mud

Iditarod Trail
7.6

A long trail in Alaska from Anchorage to Nome used for the annual dog sled race

Iditarod Trail Dog Sled Race
7.5

A long dog sled race across Alaska that happens every year and covers about 1,000 miles

sawdust trail
7.7

A line of sawdust that leads to a workshop

widow-maker trail
  • US
9.9

A hiking path that is very dangerous and could kill hikers

How Close

to tail
52 5.9
to stalk
  • Offensive
195 7.4
to shadow
27 6.0
to trail
50 2.5
to follow
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

trail infinitive
trailed past
trailed past participle
trailing present participle
trails third person singular

Etymology

Trail comes from the idea of a path or track left by movement, from the root trahere 'to pull'. So to trail someone is to follow their track or path to try to catch them.