is trailing than

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "is trailing than" is not correct in English and does not convey a clear meaning.
It seems to be an incorrect combination of comparative forms and should not be used in written English. Example: "The stock price is trailing than expected" would need to be revised for clarity.

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Football referees grant more extra time when the home team is trailing than when it is ahead.A series of other studies confirm this finding but view referee bias itself as a product of the influence of fans.

The Economist

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

If either man is trailing by fewer than 10,000 votes after Nov. 18, he may demand a recount.

The New York Times

On the other hand, Goldman is trailing by less than $4 billion, so it wouldn't take a blockbuster transaction to tip the scales.

The New York Times

Campoverdi has about $123,000 cash on hand, while Cabildo is trailing with less than $100,000 in the bank.

Los Angeles Times

By any broader cultural measure, Mr. Obama is trailing public opinion, rather than dragging it forward, as his predecessors did.

The New York Times

Time will tell how successful that will be, but for now he is trailing Obama by more than any other Republican at this stage in many years.

Huffington Post

In reality, although he won the electoral college ― and presidency ― Trump is trailing Clinton by more than 2.5 million votes, and there is no evidence to back up his claims of mass voter fraud.

Huffington Post

For the first time since 2005 foreign equity markets are trailing rather than leading our own.

Forbes

When you are trailing by more than 20 points in the polls, it's probably time to start fighting dirty.

The Guardian

The governing party's candidate, Hector Olivares Ventura, a former senator and party bureaucrat who is the son of a former PRI governor, was trailing by more than 10percentt of the votes, both networks reported.

The New York Times

index for 13 consecutive years, though his fund was trailing by more than four percentage points through September, largely because of his holdings in technology companies, including Amazon and Nextel, and a lack of investments in energy stocks.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use correct comparative structures when indicating that something is behind or less than something else. Use phrases like "is lagging behind" or "is less than" instead of the grammatically incorrect phrase "is trailing than".

Common error

Be careful not to mix comparative constructions. The phrase "is trailing than" incorrectly combines "trailing" with "than". Instead, use "is trailing" followed by a correct comparative phrase like "is trailing behind" or "is less than".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "is trailing than" attempts to function as a comparative, indicating that something is behind or less than something else. However, it is grammatically incorrect. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it's an incorrect combination of comparative forms.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Academia

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "is trailing than" is grammatically incorrect. Although it appears in some sources, particularly News & Media and Science, it should be avoided in favor of grammatically correct alternatives like "is lagging behind" or "is less than". As Ludwig AI points out, the phrase incorrectly combines comparative forms. When writing, always aim for grammatical accuracy to ensure clarity and credibility.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

is lagging behind

Replaces the incorrect comparative structure with a phrasal verb indicating a slower pace or position.

is less advanced than

Uses a correct comparative form to indicate a lower level of progress or development.

is falling behind

Indicates a decline in position or performance relative to others.

trails behind

Emphasizes the action of following at a distance or in a subordinate position.

is inferior to

Indicates a lower quality or status compared to something else.

is not as good as

A more general way of expressing that something is of lower quality or performance.

is second to

Highlights a ranking or order where something is in a lower position.

is weaker than

Indicates a lack of strength or capability compared to another entity.

is outpaced by

Highlights the fact that someone or something has exceeded another entity.

is overshadowed by

Expresses that something is less noticeable or important compared to something else.

FAQs

What are some correct ways to say something is behind or less than something else?

Instead of using the incorrect phrase "is trailing than", you can use phrases like "is lagging behind", "is less than", or "is falling behind".

Is "is trailing than" grammatically correct?

No, the phrase "is trailing than" is grammatically incorrect. The correct way to express this idea is to say "is lagging behind" or "is less than".

What's the difference between "is trailing than" and "is trailing behind"?

The phrase "is trailing than" is grammatically incorrect, while "is trailing behind" is a correct way to express that something is moving or progressing at a slower pace than something else.

When is it appropriate to use "is trailing"?

"Is trailing" can be used as part of a grammatically correct phrase such as "is trailing behind" or when followed by a specific measurement or indicator. Avoid using "is trailing than".