followed; following; follows
1
: to go, proceed, or come after
followed the guide
2
a
: to engage in as a calling or way of life : pursue
wheat-growing is generally followed here
b
: to walk or proceed along
follow a path
3
a
: to be or act in accordance with
follow directions
b
: to accept as authority : obey
followed his conscience
4
a
: to pursue in an effort to overtake
Police followed the robbers attempting to escape.
b
: to seek to attain
follow knowledge
5
: to come into existence or take place as a result or consequence of
disaster followed the blunder
6
a
: to come or take place after in time, sequence, or order
A juggling act followed the singer.
b
: to cause to be followed
followed dinner with a liqueur
7
: to copy after : imitate
the new building follows the facades and roof lines of the original buildings—
Maxwell Mays
Maxwell Mays8
a
: to watch steadily
followed the flight of the ball
b
: to keep the mind on
follow a speech
c
: to attend closely to : keep abreast of
followed his career with interest
d
: to understand the sense or logic of (something, such as a line of thought)
I don't quite follow your thinking.
e
: to subscribe to the feed of (someone or something) especially on social media
Follow us on Facebook/Twitter.
1
: to go or come after a person or thing in place, time, or sequence
If one sheep goes through the gate, the rest will follow.
2
: to result or occur as a consequence, effect, or inference
Just because he's done some bad things, does it follow that he is a bad person?
Synonyms
Examples of follow in a Sentence
Verb
She followed us into the kitchen.
The dog followed the children home.
The exit is right this way. Just follow me.
The children went home and the dog followed behind.
If one sheep goes through the gate, the rest will follow.
The number 15 follows 14.
Her accident was followed by a long period of recovery.
First came the student speeches, and the presentation of awards followed.
Rioting followed the unjust verdict.
If you work hard, success will surely follow.
Recent Examples on the WebDanielle Dorsey, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
The exchange prompted district police officers to move toward the two men, and Marshall began to head toward the exit with the officers following him.
—Krista Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 11 Apr. 2024
After Saturday’s game, or following the semifinal if Boston College loses, Smith could announce his intention to return to school for his sophomore season in Chestnut Hill — or sign a contract with the Sharks and turn professional right away.
—Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 11 Apr. 2024
His lawsuit followed a similar action by Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach.
—Daniel Desrochers, Kansas City Star, 11 Apr. 2024
Last week, Chelsea called upon her online following to assist in brightening up her day.
—Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 11 Apr. 2024
Easter is observed on the first Sunday following the Paschal full moon, which is the first full moon on or after the spring equinox.
—USA TODAY, 30 Mar. 2024
The weather service expected heavy snow to move from west to east across the area Saturday night, following strong winds throughout Saturday.
—Madeline Nguyen, The Arizona Republic, 30 Mar. 2024
The Gaza Health Ministry has estimated 32,000 Palestinians have been killed following the counterattack by Israeli forces after Hamas, which runs Gaza, launched an attack on southern Israel last October.
—Todd Spangler, Detroit Free Press, 30 Mar. 2024
Verb
He’s been living at the junction of Beverly Hills, Pico-Robertson and West Hollywood since November and, following a short trip back to the East Coast in March, plans to stay through June.
—Danielle Dorsey, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
The exchange prompted district police officers to move toward the two men, and Marshall began to head toward the exit with the officers following him.
—Krista Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 11 Apr. 2024
After Saturday’s game, or following the semifinal if Boston College loses, Smith could announce his intention to return to school for his sophomore season in Chestnut Hill — or sign a contract with the Sharks and turn professional right away.
—Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 11 Apr. 2024
His lawsuit followed a similar action by Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach.
—Daniel Desrochers, Kansas City Star, 11 Apr. 2024
Last week, Chelsea called upon her online following to assist in brightening up her day.
—Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 11 Apr. 2024
Easter is observed on the first Sunday following the Paschal full moon, which is the first full moon on or after the spring equinox.
—USA TODAY, 30 Mar. 2024
The weather service expected heavy snow to move from west to east across the area Saturday night, following strong winds throughout Saturday.
—Madeline Nguyen, The Arizona Republic, 30 Mar. 2024
The Gaza Health Ministry has estimated 32,000 Palestinians have been killed following the counterattack by Israeli forces after Hamas, which runs Gaza, launched an attack on southern Israel last October.
—Todd Spangler, Detroit Free Press, 30 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'follow.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near follow
Cite this Entry
“Follow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/follow. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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