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?
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 Web
Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 22 June 2025
Safety Tips for Marinating Meat To keep marinated meat safe and prevent foodborne illness, follow these safety guidelines:
Always refrigerate: Store marinating meat in the refrigerator.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 22 June 2025
Together, the studies suggested that the extensive safety measures doctors followed weren't necessary for all patients.
—Liana Simstrom, NPR, 22 June 2025
The University of Massachusetts is number three, followed at number five by Harvard and at number nine by MIT.
—Alan M. Leventhal, Boston Herald, 22 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for follow
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
After going down 3-1 in the bottom of the second, Lindor hit the first of the trio of third-inning homers, with Nimmo and Soto following suit to put the Mets back on top, 4-3.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 22 June 2025
Safety Tips for Marinating Meat To keep marinated meat safe and prevent foodborne illness, follow these safety guidelines:
Always refrigerate: Store marinating meat in the refrigerator.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 22 June 2025
Together, the studies suggested that the extensive safety measures doctors followed weren't necessary for all patients.
—Liana Simstrom, NPR, 22 June 2025
The University of Massachusetts is number three, followed at number five by Harvard and at number nine by MIT.
—Alan M. Leventhal, Boston Herald, 22 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for follow
Cite this Entry
“Follow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/follow. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.
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