track down

British  

verb

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

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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]

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Example Sentences

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

Because of this, he was determined to track down the person who had left the waste on this occasion.

From BBC • Jun. 22, 2026

Authorities rely on an electronic arsenal of radio frequency scanners, radars, and listening and optical devices and jammers, as well as their own set of drones, to track down drone operators below.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 18, 2026

French investigators had been seeking to track down the scammers since a complaint in 2023 by an investor who lost 30,000 euros investing on a platform called universatrade.io.

From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026

If Mr. Guareschi had been in the halls trying to track down Sycorax and Caliban, he might have intercepted him.

From "The Wednesday Wars" by Gary D. Schmidt