The car left a trail of dust.
Source: tatoeba (46839)
Trail
/tɹeɪl/
Synonyms for "trail" (305 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (61)
Strong matches (92)
drag alongdraggledrapedraperydrawdrivedroopdwindleeffluviumemanateemanationensueesplanadeessenceexhalationfade awayfade outfalconfallfall astern
Show 54 more words
fall backfall behindfalterfastwalkferret outflagflapflavorflopflowflushfollowfollow a cluefollow afterfollow the houndsfollow upfoot pavementfootpathfootprintsfootstepfootstepsfootwayfowlfragrancefumegarden pathget behindgo aftergo backgo backwardsgo behindgo huntinggoof offgroovegrow dimgunhalehalthanghang backhang downhaulhawkheaveheelhiking trailhoundhunthunt downissuejackjacklightlaglag behind
Related words (152)
Noun(17 words)
lallygaglessenlinelingerlinger behindloiterlollygagloplugmallmovemove behindnodnosenose outodorovertakeparadepathpathway
Show 101 more words
pendpendantpeter outpisteplodpokepradoprocrastinatepromenadeprowl afterpublic walkpullpursueput offqueueredolenceregressreplaceresultretrogressrevertride to houndsrouterunrun downrun to earthrunwayrutsagsavorscentshadowshikarshilly shallyshilly-shallyshootsidewalksignsignssmellsmell outsnakesniff outspoorsportstalkstartstenchstill huntstill-huntstragglestreamstring alongsubsidesubtle odorsucceedsuperveneswagsweepswingtabtagtag aftertag alongtailtailgatetailpiecetake in towtaper offtarrytoadytowtowing pathtowpathtracetrace downtracestracktrack downtrail aftertrail behindtrailertraintraipsetrawltread close upontrolltrottoirtruckletrudgetugvapor trailwakewalkwalkwaywanderwaste timewayweakenweepwhiff
Adjective(3 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: track, afterclap, aftercrop, aftereffect, afterglow.
- Sentence evidence is available for trail, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "trail".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "trail"
Keep "trail" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "trail" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "trail", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "trail" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
24 entriesShowing 16 of 24 words.
More specific
12 entriesCollocations
10 entriesblood traildust trailhiking trailmountain trailnature trailsmoke trailtrail maptrail systemtrailheadvapor trail
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
2 entriessimilar
1 entriesTranslations
31 translations across 17 languages.
Arabic
1 entries- جَرَّ verb (drag behind)
Bulgarian
1 entries- влача verb (drag behind)
Catalan
1 entries- arrossegar verb (drag behind)
Chinese Mandarin
1 entries- 拖 verb (drag behind)
Czech
3 entries- táhnout verb (drag behind)
- vláčet verb (drag behind)
- vléci verb (drag behind)
Finnish
1 entries- raahata verb (drag behind)
French
1 entries- traîner verb (drag behind)
Galician
4 entries- arrastrar verb (drag behind)
- arrousar verb (drag behind)
- ransir verb (drag behind)
- restrexar verb (drag behind)
German
3 entries- schleifen verb (drag behind)
- schleppen verb (drag behind)
- ziehen verb (drag behind)
Hungarian
3 entries- húz verb (drag behind)
- von verb (drag behind)
- vontat verb (drag behind)
Italian
3 entries- strascicare verb (drag behind)
- trainare verb (drag behind)
- trascinare verb (drag behind)
Māori
2 entries- kitō verb (drag behind)
- kitō verb (drag behind)
Portuguese
1 entries- arrastar verb (drag behind)
Russian
3 entries- волочи́ть verb (drag behind)
- тащи́ть verb (drag behind)
- тяну́ть verb (drag behind)
Scottish Gaelic
1 entries- slaod verb (drag behind)
Spanish
1 entries- arrastrar verb (drag behind)
Ukrainian
1 entries- тягти verb (drag behind)
Sample sentences
41 total sentences available.
I saw the white trail of his frozen breath.
Source: tatoeba (249983)
The typhoon left behind a trail of destruction.
Source: tatoeba (275461)
The comet leaves a trail of light behind it as it moves.
Source: tatoeba (326623)
Showing 4 of 41 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "trail"?
Closest matches include track, afterclap, aftercrop, aftereffect, afterglow.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "trail"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.