track 1 of 2

1
2
as in path
a rough course or way formed by or as if by repeated footsteps there was still a faint track through the underbrush that indicated where the path used to be

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
as in route
the direction along which something or someone moves I followed the track of the thief's eyes as he watched the woman put the money into her purse and walk away

Synonyms & Similar Words

track

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word track distinct from other similar nouns?

The words trace and vestige are common synonyms of track. While all three words mean "a perceptible sign made by something that has passed," track implies a continuous line that can be followed.

the fossilized tracks of dinosaurs

When can trace be used instead of track?

In some situations, the words trace and track are roughly equivalent. However, trace may suggest any line, mark, or discernible effect.

the killer left no traces

Where would vestige be a reasonable alternative to track?

While in some cases nearly identical to track, vestige applies to a tangible reminder such as a fragment or remnant of what is past and gone.

boulders that are vestiges of the last ice age

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of track
Noun
Memphis track & field thrower Riley Simmons found Green on social media after Green spoke at Florida State, Simmons’ former school. Emma Moon, Charlotte Observer, 3 June 2025 Trump threatened to cut federal funding to California if a trans girl competed in a state track and field event held Saturday. Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 3 June 2025
Verb
The number of incidents was the highest since the ADL started tracking antisemitism data in 1979. Susan Miller, USA Today, 3 June 2025 Read More: The Rise of Antisemitism and Political Violence in the U.S. Last year was the worst for antisemitic incidents since ADL began tracking over four decades ago. Jonathan Greenblatt, Time, 23 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for track
Recent Examples of Synonyms for track
Noun
  • Volunteers sought to clear trails Cuyamaca Rancho State Park’s trails maintenance volunteer unit is looking for volunteers to help with trail maintenance in Cuyamaca.
    Linda Mcintosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 June 2025
  • Watch a trail cam video capture one bear's scratch routine.
    Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 13 June 2025
Noun
  • Investigators believed the person who killed Betsy Faria took the dog outside after she was stabbed, the probable cause said, and blood was cleaned up from the path between the victim and the patio door.
    Kate Linderman, Kansas City Star, 4 June 2025
  • Plans call for a perimeter walking-and-biking trail that loops into a network of pedestrian paths.
    Nick Rosenberger, Idaho Statesman, 4 June 2025
Noun
  • But there’s another route this could go down, a silent divorce.
    Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 5 June 2025
  • Process mining is the statistically most popular routes (where there is tracking).
    Ian Gotts, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
Verb
  • But one of his greatest spiritual teachers was a companion who liked to chase ducks and steal Taylor’s underwear — and whose most prestigious award was being honored by a local newspaper as its Pet of the Week.
    John Blake, CNN Money, 8 June 2025
  • In some tourist regions, emus have been known to chase people for food or become overly familiar – leading to head-butts, pecking or the occasional knockdown.
    Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025
Verb
  • In the sneak peek clip, an array of ocean animals traverse great distances in search of food, including travelling to seamounts — underwater mountains up to three miles high.
    Kelli Bender, People.com, 5 June 2025
  • But, given the unlimited wonders accessible to the owner of a TARDIS that can traverse all of space and time, the Doctor's ongoing obsession with Earth and its people (particularly the UK) seems slightly incongruous.
    Richard Edwards, Space.com, 3 June 2025
Noun
  • More than 17 people were arrested as suspects in connection to the case after investigators found trace amounts of DNA on plastic bands tied around Kardashian's wrists.
    Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 11 June 2025
  • Consumers can see key product details such as COA’s, easily readable cannabinoid and terpene data, and supplemental product information directly sourced from the track and trace system.
    Peter Su, Rolling Stone, 6 June 2025
Noun
  • Shoppers have used them to spruce up everything from driveways, footpaths, and flower beds to stairways, swimming pools, and retaining walls.
    Miles Walls, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 May 2025
  • And in Sri Lanka, the hotel group Resplendent Ceylon has formalized a network of 14 footpaths that cut through forests and tea fields.
    Mary Holland, Travel + Leisure, 13 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Yet Operation Spider's Web, orchestrated by the SBU intelligence service, was also part of a recurring theme: Ukraine keeps inventing new ways to wage war with drones, and regularly catches Russia by surprise.
    Greg Myre, NPR, 7 June 2025
  • Staff at Nasser hospital, where six of the bodies over the last 24 hours were taken, said they were killed while on their way to get food aid.
    Sam Mednick, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Track.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/track. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.

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