a series of memos or letters that record events A business merger leaves a long paper trail - many documents.
hit the road/trail
travel, leave Let's hit the road early. We have many miles to go.
hot on the trail
following the trail, looking for evidence The police are hot on the trail of the bank robbers.
on the rails
operating smoothly, on track Troy helped me get back on the rails when I was depressed.
pick up a trail/scent
recognize the trail of a hunted person or animal The tracking dogs were able to pick up the trail of the criminal easily.
railroad
push a plan, force a person No, I didn't want to resign. I was railroaded into it!
rail at
reproach；abuse；complain bitterly of责骂；辱骂；对…大发牢骚 It's no use your railing at fate．抱怨命运不好是无济于事的。 We must not simply rail at a comrade when he makes mistakes，but we should help him correct them．当一个同志犯了错误时，我们不要仅仅责骂他，而应该帮助他改正。
rail in
enclose with rails or a railing用围栏围起来 They railed the area in．他们把那块地用栏杆围起来了。
rail off
mark off or separate with rails or a railing用栏杆隔开 The end of the garden was railed off to stop the children straying into the road．花园的尽头用栏杆隔开，不让孩子们走到大路上去。 They railed the meadows off from the new railway．他们用栏杆把草地和新修的铁路隔开了。
on the trail of
Idiom(s): on the trail of someone or something AND on the track of someone or something
Theme: FOLLOWING
seeking someone or something; about to find someone or something. • I'm on the trail of a new can opener that is supposed to be easier to use. • I spent all morning on the track of the new secretary, who got lost on the way to work.
blaze a trail
Idiom(s): blaze a trail
Theme: EXPLORATION
to make and mark a trail. (Either literally or figuratively.) • The scout blazed a trail through the forest. • Professor Williams blazed a trail in the study of physics.
throw sb off the trail
Idiom(s): throw someone off the track AND throw someone off the trail
Theme: DECEPTION
to cause someone to lose the trail (when following someone or something). • The raccoon threw us off the track by running through the creek. • The robber threw the police off the trail by leaving town.
Off the rails
If someone has gone off the rails, they have lost track of reality.
Third rail
The third rail of something is dangerous to alter or change. Originally, the third rail is the one carrying the electricity for a train.
Trail your coat
If you trail your coat, you act in a provocative way.
blaze a trail|blaze|trail
v. phr. 1. To cut marks in trees in order to guide other people along a path or trail, especially through a wilderness. Daniel Boone blazed a trail for other hunters to follow in Kentucky. 2. To lead the way; make a discovery; start something new. Henry Ford blazed a trail in manufacturing automobiles.The building of rockets blazed a trail to outer space. See: TRAILBLAZER.
on the track of|on|on the track|on the trail|on th
Hunting or looking for; trying to find; following. The hunter is on the track of a deer.The lawyer is on the trail of new proof in the case.Jim collects old stamps; he is on the track of one in Midville this afternoon.
thin as a rail Very slender, as in I do not know why she's dieting; she's thin as a rail already. This simile, which uses rail in the sense of “a narrow bar,” has largely replaced such other versions as thin as a lath or rake, although the latter is still common in Britain. [Second half of 1800s]
underground railroad A secret network for moving and housing fugitives, as in There's definitely an underground railroad helping women escape abusive husbands. This term, dating from the first half of the 1800s, alludes to the network that secretly transported runaway slaves through the northern states to Canada. It was revived more than a century later for similar escape routes.
An rail idiom dictionary is a great resource for writers, students, and anyone looking to expand their vocabulary. It contains a list of words with similar meanings with rail, allowing users to choose the best word for their specific context.
Dictionary of similar words, Different wording, Synonyms, Idioms for Idiom, Proverb rail