ADJ
- scent
- Ants follow a scent trail laid down previously
- blood, smoke, vapour
- thin
- muddy
- false
VERB + TRAIL
- lay, leave, make
- The couple laid a false trail to escape the paparazzi. The tourists left a trail of litter behind them
- pick up
- The dog had picked up the trail of a rabbit
- follow
- lose
- The fox had crossed a stream, and the hounds lost the trail
TRAIL + VERB
- go cold
- They had to find the kidnappers before the trail went cold
PREP
- on sb's ~
- Detectives had found several new clues and were back on the murderer's trail
PHRASES
- a trail of blood, a trail of devastation
- The hurricane passed, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake
- a trail of smoke
ADJ
- forest, nature, woodland
- 10-kilometre, 5-mile, etc.
- cycle, mountain bike, tourist, walking
- hippy, tourist
- This restaurant is off the tourist trail
- campaign, comeback, winning (all figurative)
- After a disastrous few seasons, the team are on the comeback trail
VERB + TRAIL
- follow, hit
- In 1967 she hit the hippy trail to India
- be on (often figurative)
TRAIL + VERB
- go, lead, wend its way
- The trail wends its way through leafy woodland and sunny meadows
PREP
- after
- I trailed wearily after the others
- around/round
- They spent their lives trailing around the country
- (along) behind
ADV
- badly
- Liverpool are now trailing badly in the league
PREP
- by
- They were trailing by 12 points until the last few minutes of the game
