Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of tailed
Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at tail 1, -ed 3
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.
Performance-wise, they have not been terrible, but their results have tailed off a bit.
From BBC ● May 14, 2026
Details about the underlying allegation remain murky, but the department sources familiar with the matter said the LAPD’s secretive Special Operations Division tailed officers who were under investigation.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 7, 2026
OTTAWA—Canada’s economy rebounded in the first quarter despite signs activity tailed off in March even with a spike in energy prices as the conflict in the Middle East escalated.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 2026
Sauropods were long necked, long tailed plant eaters that grew into the largest animals ever to walk on land, yet their earliest life stages were small, exposed, and highly vulnerable.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 1, 2026
“We often tailed each other on our way to secret meetings,” recalled Feklisov, “to make sure we were not being followed.”
From "Bomb" by Steve Sheinkin
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.
