I'm trying to track down vs I'm trying to trace

Both phrases are correct, but they have slightly different meanings and usage. 'I'm trying to track down' is used when you are attempting to find someone or something, while 'I'm trying to trace' is used when you are attempting to follow or discover the course or development of something. The choice between the two depends on whether you are looking for a person or thing (track down) or following a course or development (trace).

Last updated: March 20, 2024 • 784 views

I'm trying to track down

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English when you are attempting to find someone or something.

This phrase is used when you are trying to locate or find someone or something. It implies a search or pursuit.

Examples:

I'm trying to track down the owner of the lost dog.
The detective is trying to track down the suspect.
She's trying to track down the book she lent to her friend.
We need to track down the source of the problem.
He's trying to track down his missing keys.

Show examples from the web [+]

to find someone or something after searching for them I'm trying to track down one of my old classmates from college. My library assistant tracked down several ...
I'm trying to track down clothing-optional beaches within striking distance of Melbourne. The south end of Red Bluff Beach, whilst not "official", certainly used to ...
Dec 13, 2015 ... I'm trying to track down someone, or a few people, from my childhood but I can't remember their names. I'm hoping that reddit can help me find ...
I might need a little of that as well, but mostly I'm trying to track down a guy named Josh who worked in mining in Ouray back in the 1960's. "You can track Others ...

Alternatives:

I'm trying to find
I'm trying to locate
I'm trying to discover
I'm trying to hunt down
I'm trying to search for

I'm trying to trace

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English when you are attempting to follow or discover the course or development of something.

This phrase is used when you are trying to follow or discover the course or development of something. It implies a process of investigation or examination.

Examples:

I'm trying to trace the history of my family.
The researchers are trying to trace the origins of the ancient artifact.
She's trying to trace the steps of the criminal.
We need to trace the path of the river to find its source.
He's trying to trace the cause of the issue.

Show examples from the web [+]

I'm trying to trace my family history to learn more about my roots. Unfortunately in November an essential person for my research passed. My great grandmother ...
I'm trying to trace a lot of cartoon art scans and everything was going fine until I ran across a faded image. I tweaked it a lot but eventually had to ...
I'm trying to trace a Jimmy O'Loughlin lived in london in the mid 70's might be in waterford now any help would be apprieciated. had a job at bank of America ...
When I'm trying to trace the whole image with Illustrator CS6 into b/w, I am losing details overall. Example is on the left side. It's ... adobe-illustrator image-trace.

Alternatives:

I'm trying to follow
I'm trying to investigate
I'm trying to examine
I'm trying to uncover
I'm trying to pursue

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I'm trying to track down vs I'm trying to trace