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 Web
PCMAG, 12 Nov. 2024
That’s exactly what Detroit — trailing 23-7 — needed.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC News, 11 Nov. 2024
Ashley Thess, Outdoor Life, 14 Nov. 2024
The girls walked to the southeast end of the bridge, at which point the trail effectively ends, petering out into the undergrowth.
—Aja Romano, Vox, 11 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for trail 
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Verb
Sky Replacement For a while, Photoshop trailed software such as Skylum Luminar in handling skies in photos.
—PCMAG, 12 Nov. 2024
That’s exactly what Detroit — trailing 23-7 — needed.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC News, 11 Nov. 2024
Noun
One tester used this headlamp to pedal up and ride down a wooded single-track trail after work.
—Ashley Thess, Outdoor Life, 14 Nov. 2024
The girls walked to the southeast end of the bridge, at which point the trail effectively ends, petering out into the undergrowth.
—Aja Romano, Vox, 11 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for trail
Dictionary Entries Near trail
Cite this Entry
“Trail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trail. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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