"trail behind" meaning in English

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "trails behind",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "trailing behind",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "trailed behind",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "trailed behind",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "trail behind (third-person singular simple present trails behind, present participle trailing behind, simple past and past participle trailed behind)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "68 32",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "77 23",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English phrasal verbs formed with \"behind\"",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "75 25",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "82 18",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Tech stocks trailed behind the overall market today.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2025 February 25, Kristin Zeier, Gianna-Ciara Grün, “German election results explained in graphics”, in Deutsche Welle:",
          "text": "In many constituencies, over 30% of the second vote went to the AfD. The CDU and SPD trailed far behind.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To increase or to succeed at a rate lower than (something else)."
      ],
      "id": "en-trail_behind-en-verb-9A-5dJ8m",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To increase or to succeed at a rate lower than (something else)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "To follow (someone) slowly, usually surreptitiously."
      ],
      "id": "en-trail_behind-en-verb-gkNfOwJL",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To follow (someone) slowly, usually surreptitiously."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "trail behind"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English phrasal verbs",
    "English phrasal verbs formed with \"behind\"",
    "English verbs",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries"
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "trails behind",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "trailing behind",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "trailed behind",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "trailed behind",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "trail behind (third-person singular simple present trails behind, present participle trailing behind, simple past and past participle trailed behind)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Tech stocks trailed behind the overall market today.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2025 February 25, Kristin Zeier, Gianna-Ciara Grün, “German election results explained in graphics”, in Deutsche Welle:",
          "text": "In many constituencies, over 30% of the second vote went to the AfD. The CDU and SPD trailed far behind.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To increase or to succeed at a rate lower than (something else)."
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To increase or to succeed at a rate lower than (something else)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To follow (someone) slowly, usually surreptitiously."
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To follow (someone) slowly, usually surreptitiously."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "trail behind"
}