trail behind

trail behind

1. To follow or remain physically close behind (someone or something). Her hair was so long that it trailed behind her when she walked. The runner jumped into the lead early on, with the rest trailing behind for the entire race. My passenger asked me to trail behind the limousine for the rest of the day.
2. To be in a secondary or inferior position (compared to someone or something else). We're trailing behind in the polls, but I still feel like we can win this election! Though their newest smartphone is the most technologically advanced on the market, it continues to trail behind its competitors in terms of sales. The team trailed behind by 17 points at halftime.
See also: behind, trail
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

trail behind

 (someone or something)
1. to follow or drag along behind someone or something. A long satin train trailed behind the bride. A long train trailed behind.
2. to move along behind someone or a group in a competition. Sally trailed behind the rest of the marathon runners. Roger trailed behind Dave during most of the race.
See also: behind, trail
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • run behind
  • get behind
  • get behind (someone or something)
  • get behind someone/something
  • get behind something
  • on (one's) six
  • on your six
  • fall behind
  • drop behind
  • lie behind (someone or something)
References in periodicals archive
For third time, Hussain Nawaz turned up before the investigating team on June 1 to establish the money trail behind the Sharif's London properties.
Hassan Nawaz grilled by JIT second time
Wendorf's service project was to remove and replace 43 eight-foot stairs on the community trail behind the Putnam Middle School.
Trail work leads Scout to an Eagle
BRITISH commercial property returns are likely to trail behind equities this year despite rising by 15.7%, according to the latest figures.
Equities top commercial property returns
DAVID PREECE believes Scottish clubs will continue to trail behind the rest of Europe unless councils start backing their local teams.
FOOTBALL: Scots miss Silke soccer
The report noted that Hispanics trail behind white students in obtaining bachelor's degrees, and Hispanic four-year freshmen are less likely than white four-year freshmen to enroll in selective colleges.
Hispanic enrollment blooms
And, as always, leave a documentation trail behind (in everything you do) to prove that, at the very least, you've done your best!
Avoid liability? Let will Rogers be your guide. (Guest Editorial)
These powerful vortices--one rotating clockwise and the other, counterclockwise--can trail behind an aircraft for more than 30 kilometers, says Philip G.
Wing vortices yield a deadly secret. (Dangerous Wake)
In all three matches they've played, Hayes have notched slick 9-0 wins in Division Two of the Mens League but they still trail behind Saxon, who also have produced a 100 per cent start with four consecutive victories to take a two-point advantage.
Hartshill team off to ace start; BADMINTON
Typically, when someone visits an e-commerce site, they leave an electronic trail behind which tells what they looked at and what they did.
PROPER USE OF BI TOOLS CAN ENHANCE YOUR BUSINESS
Your weaker leg can trail behind, helping you steer the board like a rudder on a boat.
SNOWBOARDING with MS
The hitters can trail behind the ball, or they can slide to the ball or slightly beyond the ball, each position presenting a different hitting angle [ILLUSTRATION FOR FIGURE 3 OMITTED].
Slide into your attack
The victims, aged 15 and 16, were walking along the trail behind the Talybont student flats when the hooded aggressor barged into them, threatened them and demanded their mobile phones.
Boys flee from robbery attempt
The survey ranks Blair in 6th, a place ahead of Churchill, but both men trail behind former South African president Nelson Mandela, who took more than a quarter of all votes cast.
Blair beats Churchill
But the poll, by Pfizer which makes impotence drug Viagra, showed that the Irish still trail behind the rest of Europe.
Old devil called love