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Synonyms

trailing

British  
/ ˈtreɪlɪŋ /

adjective

  1. (of a plant) having a long stem which spreads over the ground or hangs loosely

    trailing ivy
"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

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.

Private credit default rates have been rising for a while now, peaking at 5.8% in January before falling to 5.4% in the trailing 12-month period ended in February, according to Fitch Ratings.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

The level of pessimism has reached a point where tech’s trailing PEG is implying “future earnings will be much weaker and is as low as the trough after the tech bubble burst in 2003-05.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026

The discovery in a border area of neighbouring Serbia comes as Orban's party is badly trailing in opinion polls ahead of crucial elections next Sunday.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

This game ended with Lauren Betts blocking Madison Booker’s layup attempt with 18 seconds remaining and Texas trailing by just three.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026

Marco emerges from the wing of the stage with the girl in the green dress trailing close behind him.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.