If a sound (especially a voice) trails off or trails away, it gradually becomes quieter or weaker, and then stops.
Examples of use:
1. His voice trailed away when he realized Horatio wasn’t listening.
2. Her voice trailed off when she saw the body of the woman in the pool.
3. We heard the sound of the police sirens trailing away into the distance.
4. He was talking about his ex-wife and he trailed off into an embarrassed silence when his girlfriend appeared.
5. She was telling me about her life as a child, but her voice trailed off when she got to the part about her accident.
infinitive |
trail away / off |
present simple |
trail away / off and trails away / off |
-ing form |
trailing away / off |
past simple |
trailed away / off |
past participle |
trailed away / off |
Can you use this phrasal verb in a sentence?
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