trail away/off

phrasal verb

trailed away/off; trailing away/off; trails away/off
used to say that someone's voice becomes softer and softer and then stops
She started asking him a question, but then her voice trailed off.

Examples of trail away/off in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Looking elegantly windblown in a sweater, her mass of hair cascading like the precious garland of some Irish deity, Farrow has a tendency to trail off in conversation. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2024 During the debate, Biden gave a series of incoherent and confusing responses and appeared to trail off at times without finishing his sentences. David Faris, Newsweek, 10 July 2024 During the event, Biden spoke hoarsely and provided confusing answers, sometimes appearing to trail off his sentences. David Faris, Newsweek, 10 July 2024 The fact that all of this is happening within an aesthetic that prizes natural sound — as in, the actual, unfettered sound of nature in Western Mass dominating the soundtrack — and conversational exchanges that halt, stall or simply trail off into dead ends, adds to the rawness of it all. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 25 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for trail away/off 

Dictionary Entries Near trail away/off

Cite this Entry

“Trail away/off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trail%20away%2Foff. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!