trail
verb (used with object)
to drag or let drag along the ground or other surface; draw or drag along behind.
were trailing
-
past progressiveof trail.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
None have had a tougher year than L3Harris Technologies, whose shares were trailing peers even before its CEO’s ouster last week.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
Brazil were trailing Morocco 1-0 in their opening game in New Jersey but were back on level terms within 10 minutes of the restart after a first-half drinks break.
From BBC ● Jun. 20, 2026
The other candidates in the race were trailing Ugarte and Mazariegos in early returns.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 2026
The Seagulls were trailing to Bukayo Saka's ninth-minute goal when they pushed forward in the third minute of first-half stoppage time.
From BBC ● Mar. 17, 2026
Bryson knew they were trailing him because he'd never seen them walk this way before and was pretty sure they didn't live on his side of the neighborhood.
From "Look Both Ways" by Jason Reynolds
