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
Founded by a German in his mother’s laundry room, adidas initially outfitted track athletes. — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026 This was one of the first tracks for the album, if not the first. — Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2026
Verb
The most recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention figures tracking smoking in young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 date to 2022—then around 5 percent of that group reported smoking cigarettes. — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 7 Aug. 2026 In the past, when refining capacity was ample, gasoline prices largely tracked changes in crude oil costs. — CNBC, 7 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
  • Balance your day from trail to studio, couch to commute and everywhere in between.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Though there are plenty of lovely walking trails, even the park’s boat and trams tours will require some walking, so don’t expect to take it easy.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of trail
Noun
  • In Spain, hotel demand along the eclipse’s path of totality — including in the northern Spanish cities of A Coruña, Bilbao and Santiago de Compostela — has soared.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • But while the new senator has championed some of her brother's priorities, like a Russia sanctions bill the Senate approved last week, she's also attempted to chart her own path.
    — Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of path
Noun
  • The other four switched off their tracking transponders to avoid detection so their route is unknown.
    — Mustafa Qadri, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Quarterback Tommy DeVito looked to him on a go route on the very next play, but Williams didn’t cut back inside for the ball, which appeared to frustrate Vrabel on the sideline.
    — Chad Graff, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of route
Verb
  • Dylan Lee issued a pair of two-out walks in the eighth before getting pinch-hitter Paul Goldschmidt to strike out chasing a heater.
    — Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 8 Aug. 2026
  • There was plenty of evidence on this point, the most important being that the Kittrells were being chased by creditors at the time of their transfers and the transfers left them insolvent and unable to satisfy their debts.
    — Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of chase
Verb
  • Both Craig and Flanagan spent the weekend traversing the Twin Cities metro area.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The discovery will shed new light into just who was traversing these waters during that era, the culture ministry says.
    — Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of traverse
Noun
  • The film draws on archival materials, interviews with residents, and choreographed performances to explore how traces of that industrial past continue to shape the neighborhood today.
    — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 13 Aug. 2026
  • His team soon discovered trace amounts of oxygen in deep groundwater from around the world.
    — James Dinneen, New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of trace
Noun
  • The Sconset Bluff Walk is a popular scenic footpath near yards of private cottages.
    — Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2026
  • The vehicle crashed into the crowd in Tiergarten Park, according to law enforcement, an area along a footpath within the park and near to the parade's end.
    — Kevin Shalvey, ABC News, 26 July 2026
Definition of footpath
Noun
  • Carrick using Mbeumo as a centre-forward is not new — but the way United’s forward line is gelling around him is.
    — Cerys Jones, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
  • By doing it this way, the kids had to put some thought into which items meant the most to them, and there were no complaints afterward.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 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 14 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on track

Nglish: Translation of track for Spanish Speakers

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