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.
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Recent Examples on the WebAngie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Nov. 2023
More on the Israel-Hamas war Joyful reunions with families will be followed by a long road to recovery, especially for the children taken hostage.
—Josh Feldman, NBC News, 26 Nov. 2023
Feel free to follow me and what is happening in Washington, D.C.; my handle on all social media platforms is @AlexHouseThomas.
—Alex Thomas, arkansasonline.com, 26 Nov. 2023
Marty, who used his brother’s old puppets to follow suit in New York, eventually joined Sid in Hollywood in the 1950s.
—Maane Khatchatourian, Los Angeles Times, 26 Nov. 2023
After nearly 50 days of war following a Hamas rampage through southern Israel that left some 1,200 Israelis dead, the pause, part of a deal to exchange captives, has given both sides rare reason to celebrate.
—Hazem Balousha, Washington Post, 26 Nov. 2023
Then sales crept into Thanksgiving day itself, and Cyber Monday followed.
—Medea Giordano, WIRED, 25 Nov. 2023
The group endures, its following steadfast and always multiplying.
—Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 14 Nov. 2023
The world premiere — where dancing was encouraged, if not required — was followed by a Q&A moderated by Spike Lee with the four original band members David Byrne, Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz and Jerry Harrison in attendance.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 14 Nov. 2023
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Verb
Her dancers follow from the ground like apostles, and the crowd takes in the entire spectacle with an air of awe.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Nov. 2023
More on the Israel-Hamas war Joyful reunions with families will be followed by a long road to recovery, especially for the children taken hostage.
—Josh Feldman, NBC News, 26 Nov. 2023
Feel free to follow me and what is happening in Washington, D.C.; my handle on all social media platforms is @AlexHouseThomas.
—Alex Thomas, arkansasonline.com, 26 Nov. 2023
Marty, who used his brother’s old puppets to follow suit in New York, eventually joined Sid in Hollywood in the 1950s.
—Maane Khatchatourian, Los Angeles Times, 26 Nov. 2023
After nearly 50 days of war following a Hamas rampage through southern Israel that left some 1,200 Israelis dead, the pause, part of a deal to exchange captives, has given both sides rare reason to celebrate.
—Hazem Balousha, Washington Post, 26 Nov. 2023
Then sales crept into Thanksgiving day itself, and Cyber Monday followed.
—Medea Giordano, WIRED, 25 Nov. 2023
The group endures, its following steadfast and always multiplying.
—Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 14 Nov. 2023
The world premiere — where dancing was encouraged, if not required — was followed by a Q&A moderated by Spike Lee with the four original band members David Byrne, Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz and Jerry Harrison in attendance.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 14 Nov. 2023
See More
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.
Word History
Etymology
Verb and Noun
Middle English folwen, from Old English folgian; akin to Old High German folgēn to follow
First Known Use
Verb
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Noun
1661, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of follow was
before the 12th century
Phrases Containing follow
Dictionary Entries Near follow
Cite this Entry
“Follow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/follow. Accessed 30 Nov. 2023.
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Kids Definition
follow
1 of 2 verbˈfäl-ō
1
: to go or come after or behind
2
: to be guided by : obey
follow your conscience
follow instructions
3
: to go after or on the track of
follow that car
4
: to go along
follow a path
5
: to work in or at something as a business or way of life
follow the sea
6
: to come after in order of rank or natural sequence
two follows one
7
: to keep one's attention fixed on
follow a speech
8
: to result from something
fame followed the captain's success
9
: to understand the sense or logic of
10
: to subscribe to the feed of (someone or something) especially on social media
follow
2 of 2 noun
: the act or process of following
More from Merriam-Webster on follow
Nglish: Translation of follow for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of follow for Arabic Speakers
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