following 1 of 4

as in next
being the one that comes immediately after another the following morning, I found the cat was gone

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

following

2 of 4

noun

1
as in entourage
a body of employees or servants who accompany and wait on a person a prince with a large following to do practically everything for him

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2
as in audience
a group of people showing intense devotion to a cause, person, or work (as a film) that rock star attracts quite a following

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3

following

3 of 4

preposition

as in after
subsequent to in time or order following the concert, there will be refreshments in the lobby

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

following

4 of 4

verb

present participle of follow
1
as in succeeding
to come after in time a wrap-up always follows the Super Bowl broadcast

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3
4
5
6

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of following
Adjective
Following his arrest on May 2, Hinton gained a following online and raised thousands in multiple fundraisers on an online crowdfunding platform, GiveSendGo. David Ferrara, The Enquirer, 14 July 2025 In a following move, Waller will be signing a one-year deal with Miami worth $5 million. Kevin McCormick, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 July 2025
Noun
Key hires like Ken Merrill, a media veteran, and Nefi Alulema, a social media powerhouse, turned that visibility into a global following. Ashley Lutz, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2025 Right now, find markdowns on cult favorites like the Marc Jacobs Tote Bag and the Bogg Bag that’s garnered a TikTok following for its waterproof body and customization options. Malia Griggs, Glamour, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
At least three students are dead and dozens of others may be trapped in the rubble following the collapse at the Al Khoziny boarding school in Sidoarjo, a town about 780 km east of Jakarta, federal emergency officials said. Britt Clennett, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2025 The following account is based on an arrest warrant affidavit, court and personnel records, and agency news releases. Andi Babineau, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for following
Recent Examples of Synonyms for following
Adjective
  • Raducanu is entered to play the WTA 500 event in Ningbo, China, next week, but could decide to end her season before then.
    Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Speaking from inside the Jacksonville stadium — and inside a room with poster renderings of the finished product in 2028 — Chiefs team president Mark Donovan said Monday the organization is taking the next step toward establishing its future home.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The exchanges have included headline-making ripostes from Christian Pulisic and his entourage.
    Adam Crafton, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Loro Piana created the attire that Team Europe athletes and their entourages wore during all official events, both on and off the course.
    Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • So, what the audience will see are the rare peril of circus artists who can juggle, dance and perform as an aerialist and trapeze.
    Kirby Adams, Louisville Courier Journal, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Among the 1,300 works brought over for the exhibition, which was conceived in order to introduce American audiences to the modern art being made in Europe, was a roster of loans from 27 Rue de Fleurus, including Matisse’s Blue Nude and two Picasso still lifes.
    Via Scribner, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • For most others, though, the Michelin pursuit is a non-negotiable, to borrow a term from The Bear.
    Laurie Woolever, Rolling Stone, 11 Oct. 2025
  • Now the pursuit of thrill seekers, subway surfing has picked up steam online, thanks in part to viral social media videos, with the activity having been adopted in big cities such as New York.
    Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Preposition
  • The new feature was first spotted by XDA after experimenting with its Discover sources feature.
    James Peckham, PC Magazine, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Williams, who for many years was the person on KU’s sideline to race onto the David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium turf to retrieve the tee after kickoffs, from 1970 until 2020 didn’t miss a KU football home game.
    Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • They were likely delayed by the recent leadership change, with Peter Friedlander succeeding Vernon Sanders as Head of Global TV for Amazon MGM Studios.
    Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Mateer had a breakout year last season while succeeding Ward, then transferred to Oklahoma this offseason.
    Sam Khan Jr, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Depending on the price tag that Las Vegas would place on Meyers, the 49ers should seriously consider pursuing a deal for him.
    Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
  • For two decades, the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) study discouraged many from pursuing hormone therapy—leaving an entire generation to suffer in silence.
    Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • While current power brokers haven’t scrapped movies over their content, yet, Hollywood has a recent history of companies obeying in advance by shelving projects until the tensions cool.
    Chris Yogerst, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2025
  • It was intended simply to verify that a nonviolent offender was obeying curfew hours.
    Robert S. Gable, IEEE Spectrum, 20 July 2017

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Cite this Entry

“Following.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/following. Accessed 12 Oct. 2025.

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