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track down

British  

verb

  1. (tr, adverb) to find by tracking or pursuing

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

track down Idioms  
  1. Follow successfully, locate, as in I've been trying to track down that book but haven't had any luck. This term alludes to the literal use of track, “follow the footsteps of.” [Second half of 1800s]


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Don’t expect members of my profession to track down the story.

From Salon Jul. 10, 2026

He’s had clients forgo a portion of the credit because they couldn’t track down the EIN at tax time.

From MarketWatch Jul. 6, 2026

Relatives were never able to track down the rumored recipient.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 30, 2026

Last year, the Providence, R.I., police chief credited Flock’s cameras with helping track down the Brown University shooting suspect, who had changed license plates.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 26, 2026

“Well, I suppose you two are just the ones to track down any pirate’s booty hidden in Bayport. You can add it to the list of mysteries you’ve already solved.”

From "Mystery Map (The Hardy Boys: Secret Files, #3)" by Franklin W. Dixon

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