track 1 of 2

noun

ˈtrak How to pronounce track (audio)
Definition of tracknext
1
as in trail
a mark or series of marks left on a surface by something that has passed along it a muddy track across the kitchen floor

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in path
a rough course or way formed by or as if by repeated footsteps there was still a faint track through the underbrush that indicated where the path used to be

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in route
the direction along which something or someone moves I followed the track of the thief's eyes as he watched the woman put the money into her purse and walk away

Synonyms & Similar Words

track

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to chase
to go after or on the track of predators stealthily tracking their prey

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to traverse
to make one's way through, across, or over once upon a time, millions of buffalo tracked the wide open plains

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word track distinct from other similar nouns?

The words trace and vestige are common synonyms of track. While all three words mean "a perceptible sign made by something that has passed," track implies a continuous line that can be followed.

the fossilized tracks of dinosaurs

When can trace be used instead of track?

In some situations, the words trace and track are roughly equivalent. However, trace may suggest any line, mark, or discernible effect.

the killer left no traces

Where would vestige be a reasonable alternative to track?

While in some cases nearly identical to track, vestige applies to a tangible reminder such as a fragment or remnant of what is past and gone.

boulders that are vestiges of the last ice age

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of track
Noun
The swaggering track, which sees the artists joining voices on the chorus, will get an official music video later today. — Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 2026 But plenty of long-range computer models continue to show a future for the system, most as a tropical storm headed west toward the Caribbean, although plenty also show a potential track that curves north of Puerto Rico. — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026
Verb
New research from SellCell tracked trade-in prices across the last three Apple launches. — Janhoi McGregor, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026 Activity Rings monitor daily movement, exercise, and standing goals, while the optical sensor tracks heart rate throughout the day. — Stackcommerce Team, PC Magazine, 29 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for track
Recent Examples of Synonyms for track
  1. trail
  2. path
  3. route
  4. chase
  5. traverse
  6. trace
  7. footpath
  8. way
Noun
  • Seeking a way to maintain the trails, the Copleys decided to rely on foot traffic from hikers to keep down vegetation.
    — John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 28 Aug. 2026
  • These trails form when aircraft engine emissions encounter extremely cold air found at high altitudes, causing tiny ice particles to develop.
    — Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of trail
Noun
  • Rain chances along the storm's path remain over 60% on Wednesday, according to weather service forecasts.
    — Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Aitken is hopeful that the team’s sale will open a path to a new land deal with incoming owner Stan Kroenke.
    — Sam Blum, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of path
Noun
  • That could offer shipowners another route toward lower fuel use and emissions.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Avelo Airlines is extending its flight schedule at Concord-Padgett Regional Airport after announcing five new routes this year.
    — DJ Simmons, Charlotte Observer, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of route
Verb
  • The North American box office is still chasing the pre-pandemic levels of 2019, and despite a blockbuster summer, ticket sales are still lagging.
    — Sarah Whitten, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • That’s some serious currency for Mahomes to be taking into Season 10 with so much still in front of him — both in terms of years to play, presumably, and goals to chase.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of chase
Verb
  • And while Jonas is no stranger to traversing the nation, often on a tour bus, he may not have been accustomed to the way it was done on the commercial’s set.
    — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The ride reaches speeds of 72 mph, the fastest coaster in Universal’s global portfolio, while traversing 4,100 feet of track, two towering inverted loops and a pretzel loop.
    — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of traverse
Noun
  • Ascherson’s own writing, in fact, contains a trace of Staatsduft—a certain whiff of an era when Europe had a very different place in the world.
    — Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Investors who have backed companies through full capital market cycles know that and look for traces of that evolution.
    — Albana Vrioni, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of trace
Noun
  • Take the paved footpath behind Zori past olive groves to reach the ACI Marina, its restaurants and the taxi boats that take you to Hvar Town and the notoriously hedonistic beach club, Carpe Diem, on the neighboring island of Marinkovac.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Cultivating tradition Hours down a narrow, mountainous footpath, Reynalda García Juárez is tending to those roots, quite literally.
    — Alfredo Sosa, Christian Science Monitor, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of footpath
Noun
  • While spoken language might benefit us in myriad ways, no single activity requires it, let alone explains what triggered its ongoing evolution over tens to hundreds of thousands of years.
    — Mike McRae September 02, New Atlas, 3 Sep. 2026
  • For nearly two additional years, all the way to a six-hour cut of the movie that went deep on Musk’s 2025 DOGE era and his SpaceX IPO plate-spin this summer.
    — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of way

Phrases Containing track

Browse Nearby Words

tracing
track
track (down)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Track.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/track. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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