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
Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 24 Apr. 2025
The conservationist and son of the late Steve Irwin is following behind his big sister Bindi, 26, who competed on season 21 of the show with Hough as her partner and won back in 2015.
—Escher Walcott, People.com, 23 Apr. 2025
Somehow, along the way, we have become lost in following these simple guidelines and thus have created a downward spiral in American health and well-being.
—Kevin Reutenauer, Hartford Courant, 23 Apr. 2025
Charles Melton is following in Ryan Gosling’s footsteps and collaborating with iconic auteur Nicolas Winding Refn.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 23 Apr. 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
In 2006, Steve Irwin died following an injury from a stingray incurred during the filming of an underwater documentary.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 24 Apr. 2025
The conservationist and son of the late Steve Irwin is following behind his big sister Bindi, 26, who competed on season 21 of the show with Hough as her partner and won back in 2015.
—Escher Walcott, People.com, 23 Apr. 2025
Somehow, along the way, we have become lost in following these simple guidelines and thus have created a downward spiral in American health and well-being.
—Kevin Reutenauer, Hartford Courant, 23 Apr. 2025
Charles Melton is following in Ryan Gosling’s footsteps and collaborating with iconic auteur Nicolas Winding Refn.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 23 Apr. 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 7 May. 2025.
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