Home UK English on someone's tail

Meaning of on someone's tail in English:

on someone's tail

phrase

  • Following someone closely.

    ‘a police car stayed on his tail for half a mile’
    • ‘The police stayed on his tail for four miles, until he pulled over once more.’
    • ‘He ran after the group, staying on their tail as they headed into High Woods Country Park.’
    • ‘That would explain all ten of the police cars on our tail, plus a couple of vans.’
    • ‘He ducked and dodged around the buildings, trying to lose his pursuers but they managed to stay on his tail.’
    • ‘Letting her bike swerve, she halted a few inches from the track railing and stayed on his tail.’
    • ‘She swerved between buildings, statues, and anything that might make them lose her, but they stayed on her tail.’
    • ‘Let's say you're about to get fired or you've just killed a man and the police are on your tail.’
    • ‘Drug dealers who plague Swindon's streets are today warned that police are on their tail.’
    • ‘Two burglars were today behind bars after a passing motorist tracked them through the streets of York and put police on their tail, the city's crown court heard.’
    • ‘On his tail is FBI agent Carl Hanratty and his team of oafs.’
    close behind someone, following someone closely, on someone's heels, hard on someone's heels, tailing someone
    View synonyms