trailed; trailing; trails
1
a
: to hang down so as to drag along or sweep the ground
b
: to extend over a surface in a loose or straggling manner
a vine that trails over the ground
c
: to grow to such length as to droop over toward the ground
trailing branches of a weeping birch
2
3
: to move, flow, or extend slowly in thin streams
smoke trailing from chimneys
4
5
: to follow a trail : track game
2
a
: to drag (something, such as a limb or the body) heavily or wearily
b
: to carry or bring along as an addition, burden, or encumbrance
c
: to draw along in one's wake
1
a(1)
: a track made by passage especially through a wilderness
(2)
: a marked or established path or route especially through a forest or mountainous region
c
: a course followed or to be followed
hit the campaign trail
2
a
: something that follows or moves along as if being drawn along : train
a trail of admirers
b
: a chain of consequences : aftermath
the … movement left a trail of bitterness and prejudice behind it—
Paul Blanshard
Paul Blanshard
c(1)
: the streak produced by a meteor
(2)
: a continuous line produced photographically by permitting the image of a celestial body (such as a star) to move over the plate
Synonyms
Examples of trail in a Sentence
Verb
The little girl went to her room, trailing her teddy bear behind her.
The dog's leash was trailing along the ground.
The little girl's teddy bear trailed behind her.
He trailed us as we worked our way up the mountain.
The President is trailing in the polls as the election approaches.
We were trailing by 3 runs at the end of the 6th inning.
Our team trailed their team at the end of the 6th inning.
Noun
Stay on the trail if we get separated.
The car left a trail of smoke as it sped off.
following the trail to success
Recent Examples on the WebJordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2024
With the win, Wrexham trails Stockport by four points for the League Two title, though the league leader has played one game fewer.
—Jacob Lev, CNN, 14 Apr. 2024
Her six dancers trailed her, also holding onto motorcycle drivers, in motorcades that lasted minutes.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 13 Apr. 2024
After trailing for months, President Biden has moved slightly ahead of Mr. Trump in the betting on Predictit, the longest-running commercial prediction market in the United States.
—Jeff Sommer, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2024
The production shot in Los Angeles for only two days, enough time to get the nighttime shots of Gabrielle driving around town as Louis trails her.
—Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024
Deep dive Asian Americans and Latinos are two of the fastest-growing U.S. voter groups, yet registration rates for both trail far behind those of white adults.
—Mansee Khurana, NPR, 9 Apr. 2024
Similar to the women’s team, the Wolfpack were able to keep the game relatively close through the first half, going into halftime trailing by six.
—Trisha Garcia-Easto, Sacramento Bee, 7 Apr. 2024
Hill raised about $375,000 in 2023, a large chunk of that coming from individual donors, but trailing behind the multi-million-dollar coffers of his opponents like Braun, Chambers, Crouch and Doden.
—Kayla Dwyer, The Indianapolis Star, 3 Apr. 2024
Michael Charboneau, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2024
Hiking trails abound, with even more outside the resort's boundaries.
—Taylor McIntyre, Travel + Leisure, 3 Apr. 2024
The drastic rescue occurred near the Alexander Battery trail in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, the sheriff's office said.
—Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 3 Apr. 2024
The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office released footage Monday of the harrowing helicopter rescue, which took place near Battery Alexander trail in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
—Abigail Adams, Peoplemag, 3 Apr. 2024
With a plethora of hiking options, from the lush landscapes of Ocala National Forest to the challenging terrains of the Apalachicola National Forest or the long-distance trails in the state’s many trail towns, there’s a trail for every adventurer.
—Jp Shaffer, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2024
The dramatic helicopter rescue of a man who clung to a Northern California cliffside after having fallen off a trail in Golden Gate National Recreation Area was caught on video released by the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office.
—Noah Osborne, NBC News, 2 Apr. 2024
In the most recent master plan released by the DNR in 2021, miles of trails would have been constructed for snowmobiles, cutting through hiking and snowshoeing trails.
—Laura Schulte, Journal Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2024
Just like the trails themselves, hiking habits can change over time.
—Nikita Richardson, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2024
Verb
The Marlins trailed Atlanta 5-1 entering the bottom of the fourth inning, with the team’s lone run to that point coming on a Bryan De La Cruz solo home run in the second.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2024
With the win, Wrexham trails Stockport by four points for the League Two title, though the league leader has played one game fewer.
—Jacob Lev, CNN, 14 Apr. 2024
Her six dancers trailed her, also holding onto motorcycle drivers, in motorcades that lasted minutes.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 13 Apr. 2024
After trailing for months, President Biden has moved slightly ahead of Mr. Trump in the betting on Predictit, the longest-running commercial prediction market in the United States.
—Jeff Sommer, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2024
The production shot in Los Angeles for only two days, enough time to get the nighttime shots of Gabrielle driving around town as Louis trails her.
—Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024
Deep dive Asian Americans and Latinos are two of the fastest-growing U.S. voter groups, yet registration rates for both trail far behind those of white adults.
—Mansee Khurana, NPR, 9 Apr. 2024
Similar to the women’s team, the Wolfpack were able to keep the game relatively close through the first half, going into halftime trailing by six.
—Trisha Garcia-Easto, Sacramento Bee, 7 Apr. 2024
Hill raised about $375,000 in 2023, a large chunk of that coming from individual donors, but trailing behind the multi-million-dollar coffers of his opponents like Braun, Chambers, Crouch and Doden.
—Kayla Dwyer, The Indianapolis Star, 3 Apr. 2024
Noun
For six years in a row, this grueling event has tested the strength, stamina and navigational skills of Los Angeles cyclists, all while showcasing breathtaking trails and terrain right in the city’s backyard.
—Michael Charboneau, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2024
Hiking trails abound, with even more outside the resort's boundaries.
—Taylor McIntyre, Travel + Leisure, 3 Apr. 2024
The drastic rescue occurred near the Alexander Battery trail in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, the sheriff's office said.
—Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 3 Apr. 2024
The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office released footage Monday of the harrowing helicopter rescue, which took place near Battery Alexander trail in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
—Abigail Adams, Peoplemag, 3 Apr. 2024
With a plethora of hiking options, from the lush landscapes of Ocala National Forest to the challenging terrains of the Apalachicola National Forest or the long-distance trails in the state’s many trail towns, there’s a trail for every adventurer.
—Jp Shaffer, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2024
The dramatic helicopter rescue of a man who clung to a Northern California cliffside after having fallen off a trail in Golden Gate National Recreation Area was caught on video released by the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office.
—Noah Osborne, NBC News, 2 Apr. 2024
In the most recent master plan released by the DNR in 2021, miles of trails would have been constructed for snowmobiles, cutting through hiking and snowshoeing trails.
—Laura Schulte, Journal Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2024
Just like the trails themselves, hiking habits can change over time.
—Nikita Richardson, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'trail.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English, perhaps from Anglo-French *trailer, alteration of trainer to drag, trail on the ground — more at train
First Known Use
Verb
13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a
Noun
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3
Time Traveler
The first known use of trail was
in the 13th century
Phrases Containing trail
Dictionary Entries Near trail
Cite this Entry
“Trail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trail. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
trail
1 of 2 verb1
: to drag or draw along behind
2
: to lag behind
3
4
: to hang down or rest on or creep over the ground
trailing vines
a trailing skirt
5
: to form a trail
smoke trailed from the chimney
6
: to become less and less : dwindle
the voice trailed off
trail
2 of 2 noun1
: something that trails or is trailed
2
: a trace or mark left by something that has passed or been drawn along
3
a
: a track made by passage : a beaten path
b
: a path marked to show a route (as through a forest)
hiking trails
c
: an established course or routine
hit the campaign trail
More from Merriam-Webster on trail
Nglish: Translation of trail for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of trail for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about trail
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