TRAILS Synonyms: 88 Similar and Opposite Words

trails 1 of 2

noun

plural of trail

as in paths

a rough course or way formed by or as if by repeated footsteps took a trail through the woods to get to the main road

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in tracks

a mark or series of marks left on a surface by something that has passed along it the slugs left a slimy trail on the sidewalk

Synonyms & Similar Words

trails

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of trail

as in chases

to go after or on the track of we trailed our friend into the woods, inadvertently spoiling his plans for a solitary hike

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 trails

Noun

Buffalo Bayou Park is directly across the street with trails, public art, and skyline views. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Oct. 2026 The relentless rain associated with Hurricane Isaias didn’t stop some hikers from venturing onto trails and greenways in North Carolina, leading to life-threatening predicaments, officials say. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 15 Oct. 2026 The city's boathouse rents canoes, kayaks and stand-up paddleboards on a 109-acre lake, with hiking trails through the surrounding preserve. — Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026 Some of the trails in Craig Lake State Park are temporarily closed to visitors due to firefighting efforts. — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026 French doors open to walking trails, gardens, and a garage topped by an apartment. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 14 Oct. 2026 Reaching Gary Grabowske’s land requires grinding along rocky mountain trails and through gullies carved by flash floods. — Rebecca Santana, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026 Tickets start at $38 for admission to all three scare trails, with add-ons and upgrades available. — Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Oct. 2026 High tides will result in flooding along coastal trails, cut off access to some low-lying beaches and coastal areas, and bring water and waves farther up the beach than typical. — Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 8 Oct. 2026

Verb

With just four games left in the regular season, Boise State sits in second place in the Pac-12 standings and only trails Utah State. — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 17 Oct. 2026 Two former prime ministers under Macron, Édouard Philippe and Gabriel Attal, are in the race; Philippe is competing with Mélenchon for second place, while Attal trails both. — Nicholas Bequelin, Time, 16 Oct. 2026 The record is out of reach, however, as Rogers trails the leader by 10 victories with only eight more games possible. — Todd Holcomb, AJC.com, 15 Oct. 2026 SpaceX competes with Anthropic and OpenAI in the AI market, though Grok trails far behind models from top rivals. — Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2026 In China, India, Korea and Southeast Asia, sponsorship spending as a share of GDP trails the worldwide benchmark. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026 The Argentine star, who came one match away from winning his second World Cup this summer, trails Ronaldo’s on-field earnings with just $75 million. — Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 6 Oct. 2026 Despite a significantly lower explosive pass rate through three weeks compared to last year, Dallas trails only San Francisco in passing efficiency and sacks allowed. — J.j. Bailey, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2026 Caminero, the linchpin of the AL-leading Rays’ lineup, trails Schlittler in bWAR by more than a full win. — Ryan Canfield Outkick, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for trails

Noun

Imagine that two planets orbit a star on very similar paths, but one (call it Planet 1) is just barely closer to the star than the other (Planet 2).

— Phil Plait, Scientific American, 16 Oct. 2026
In contrast, a learner that assumes the world has shape, persistent objects, agents with goals, causes that precede effects and space with paths through it only needs enough data to locate things within that structure.

— Charles Yeomans, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of paths

Noun

These cocktail cars are the latest additions in a decade of Skunk Train team improvisations in the wake of long history and, more recently, trouble on the tracks.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Officers noted that both crossing arms were lowered and the warning lights were on when the person walked onto the tracks.

— Cecilio Padilla, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of tracks

Noun

But this one swept through Bright Angel Canyon, the site of one of the few footpaths that lead up the Gran Canyon’s North Rim.

— Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2026
According to the National Park Service, the footpaths through the forested ridgetops of Pennsylvania are among the most popular.

— Idra Novey, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 July 2026

Definition of footpaths

Noun

There was also a similar threat in 2023 when election offices in California, Georgia, Nevada, Oregon and Washington state received mailings that contained a white powder, some of which contained traces of the powerful opioid fentanyl, NBC reported.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
On Monday night, investigators worked into the late hours using luminol, a chemical that can reveal traces of blood not visible to the naked eye.

— ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of traces

Verb

The recruitment gains come as the Coast Guard pursues a modernization initiative known as Force Design.

— Michael Sinkewicz , Kelsie Cairns, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
Companies that previously touted the regulator’s strength have bristled as the agency now pursues policies specific to prediction markets.

— Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of pursues

Noun

Beach erosion and flooding of beach parking lots and pathways are likely.

— Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
Making pathways to the jobs of the future easier to navigate is in the interest of companies and workers alike, and will pay off for households, communities and the economy at large.

— Eric Kutcher, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of pathways

Noun

The new plan delineates rough land-use areas, not specific buildings or footprints.

— Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 8 Oct. 2026
The moon is a historical landmark — a celestial body continually peppered with robotic landers shot from our home planet, as well as human footprints planted there by a dozen visiting moonwalkers from 1969 to 1972.

— Leonard David, Space.com, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of footprints

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trailing

trails

train

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“Trails.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trails. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of trails

noun

verb

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