trace down

C1 neutral separable transitive

In simple words

find something by carefully following signs or information

Literal meaning: to follow a trace until reaching the thing itself

Meanings

1 C1 idiomatic neutral

uncommon

to locate someone or something after searching through clues, records, or evidence

"The reporter finally traced the witness down in a small coastal town."

Grammar: separable

Usage notes

Less common than 'track down'. Often used in investigative, historical, or technical contexts.

source owner document caller family origin

Base

trace down

I/you/we/they

3rd person

traces down

he/she/it

Past simple

traced down

yesterday

Past participle

traced down

have + pp

-ing form

tracing down

continuous

Try:

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track down locate find hunt down trace run to ground

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