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

The Chinese government also announced "Operation Fox Hunt" and "Operation Sky Net" to track down fugitives from the law.

From BBC • May 7, 2026

With the race on to track down anyone who was in contact with infected people on the ship, a thorough investigation into the 2018 outbreak has offered clues to how this illness can spread.

From Barron's • May 7, 2026

Their goal was to track down Florida's near-daily summer thunderstorms and observe a phenomenon that had never been confirmed outside a laboratory.

From Science Daily • Apr. 21, 2026

When the 39-year-old father returned home, he began poking around a site called BrickLink to track down missing Lego pieces for his old sets.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

Moving felt much more bearable than sitting still, just as setting out as soon as possible to track down the Horcruxes and kill Voldemort would feel better than waiting to do it...

From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling