fol·low-through
ˈfä-lō-ˌthrü 
ˌfä-lō-ˈthrü,
-lə-
1
: the part of the stroke following the striking of a ball
2
: the act or an instance of following through
followed through; following through; follows through
1
: to continue a stroke or motion to the end of its arc
2
: to press on in an activity or process especially to a conclusion
Synonyms
Examples of follow-through in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Vulture, 15 Sep. 2023
If a young person is depressed or anxious, and they have also been diagnosed with ADHD, the ADHD symptoms can affect their follow-through with treatment for the depression or anxiety, especially since working memory and overall executive functioning skills are usually affected by ADHD.
—Sherri Gordon, Health, 12 Sep. 2023
Her backswing could benefit from a little coaching, but there's no denying Princess Charlene of Monaco's follow-through.
—Peter Mikelbank, Peoplemag, 7 Sep. 2023
Heim swung and missed at the 2-1 pitch in the dirt, falling to one knee on the follow-through.
—Evan Grant, Dallas News, 27 July 2023
Oswego Village Administrator Dan Di Santo said staff was directed to follow-through on several areas related to video gambling, including providing crime data in relation to the activity.
—Linda Girardi, Chicago Tribune, 27 July 2023
In creation, method, and follow-through, Solid Gold is catchy and clever, with just the right amount of shoeshine to conjure the signature elements of Miller’s musical pedigree and continued journey.
—Garret K. Woodward, Rolling Stone, 17 July 2023
But their efforts on this front, much like those of successive U.S. administrations, have been characterized by hyperbole and little follow-through.
—Jendayi Frazer, Foreign Affairs, 29 May 2023
DeSantis responded with a swipe at Trump’s lack of follow-through on some of his campaign promises.
—Hannah Knowles and Maeve Reston, Anchorage Daily News, 29 June 2023
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune Crypto, 20 Sep. 2023
Patrick, who strongly criticized the House impeachment process Saturday, followed through on a vow to seek a thorough audit of all costs associated with the Paxton impeachment.
—Robert T. Garrett, Dallas News, 19 Sep. 2023
But, by Thursday, having failed entirely to placate his tormentors, McCarthy was reduced to throwing F-bombs at them, daring them to follow through on their threats to file a motion to oust him.
—Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2023
The agreements are voluntary, so there is no punishment if the companies fail to follow through.
—Emilia David, The Verge, 12 Sep. 2023
And in 2022, Moore followed through, placing five institutions—BlackRock, a frequent conservative target; JPMorgan Chase; Goldman Sachs; Wells Fargo; and Morgan Stanley—on a blacklist, terminating their existing state contracts and blocking them from bidding on new ones.
—Kathryn Joyce, The New Republic, 12 Sep. 2023
In short, Paul is a pathetic character whose early behavior speaks volumes about both his ambitions and his incapacity to follow through on them.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 10 Sep. 2023
Playing multiple quarterbacks by design — should Allen follow through with that plan — would be a departure for Indiana’s seventh-year head coach.
—Scott Horner, The Indianapolis Star, 2 Sep. 2023
Smith said the city’s association with the Bissell Foundation and with Cathy Bissell had provided opportunities to address the problems but said the current city administration did not follow through.
—Dale Ellis, Arkansas Online, 7 Sep. 2023
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Noun
The story feels at times like a series of familiar setups without much follow-through.
—Vulture, 15 Sep. 2023
If a young person is depressed or anxious, and they have also been diagnosed with ADHD, the ADHD symptoms can affect their follow-through with treatment for the depression or anxiety, especially since working memory and overall executive functioning skills are usually affected by ADHD.
—Sherri Gordon, Health, 12 Sep. 2023
Her backswing could benefit from a little coaching, but there's no denying Princess Charlene of Monaco's follow-through.
—Peter Mikelbank, Peoplemag, 7 Sep. 2023
Heim swung and missed at the 2-1 pitch in the dirt, falling to one knee on the follow-through.
—Evan Grant, Dallas News, 27 July 2023
Oswego Village Administrator Dan Di Santo said staff was directed to follow-through on several areas related to video gambling, including providing crime data in relation to the activity.
—Linda Girardi, Chicago Tribune, 27 July 2023
In creation, method, and follow-through, Solid Gold is catchy and clever, with just the right amount of shoeshine to conjure the signature elements of Miller’s musical pedigree and continued journey.
—Garret K. Woodward, Rolling Stone, 17 July 2023
But their efforts on this front, much like those of successive U.S. administrations, have been characterized by hyperbole and little follow-through.
—Jendayi Frazer, Foreign Affairs, 29 May 2023
DeSantis responded with a swipe at Trump’s lack of follow-through on some of his campaign promises.
—Hannah Knowles and Maeve Reston, Anchorage Daily News, 29 June 2023
Verb
In June, the SEC followed through on its notice, suing Coinbase for allegedly operating as an unregistered securities exchange, broker, and clearing agency.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune Crypto, 20 Sep. 2023
Patrick, who strongly criticized the House impeachment process Saturday, followed through on a vow to seek a thorough audit of all costs associated with the Paxton impeachment.
—Robert T. Garrett, Dallas News, 19 Sep. 2023
But, by Thursday, having failed entirely to placate his tormentors, McCarthy was reduced to throwing F-bombs at them, daring them to follow through on their threats to file a motion to oust him.
—Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2023
The agreements are voluntary, so there is no punishment if the companies fail to follow through.
—Emilia David, The Verge, 12 Sep. 2023
And in 2022, Moore followed through, placing five institutions—BlackRock, a frequent conservative target; JPMorgan Chase; Goldman Sachs; Wells Fargo; and Morgan Stanley—on a blacklist, terminating their existing state contracts and blocking them from bidding on new ones.
—Kathryn Joyce, The New Republic, 12 Sep. 2023
In short, Paul is a pathetic character whose early behavior speaks volumes about both his ambitions and his incapacity to follow through on them.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 10 Sep. 2023
Playing multiple quarterbacks by design — should Allen follow through with that plan — would be a departure for Indiana’s seventh-year head coach.
—Scott Horner, The Indianapolis Star, 2 Sep. 2023
Smith said the city’s association with the Bissell Foundation and with Cathy Bissell had provided opportunities to address the problems but said the current city administration did not follow through.
—Dale Ellis, Arkansas Online, 7 Sep. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'follow-through.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Dictionary Entries Near follow-through
Cite this Entry
“Follow-through.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/follow-through. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.
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Kids Definition
follow through
verb1
: to complete a stroke or swing
2
: to continue in an activity or process especially to a conclusion
follow through with a study
follow-through
noun
ˈfäl-ō-ˌthrü
ˌfäl-ō-ˈthrü
-ə-
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