the following
noun
: the following one or ones
—used to introduce a list, a quotation, etc.
The finalists are the following: Mary, James, and George.
The following are the times of departing trains: 2 p.m., 4 p.m., and 8 p.m.
Examples of the following in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The outrage was loud enough that, the following day, the Wizards released an apology.
—
Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
In the following months, painful shocks radiated through her chest and back.
—Brett Kelman, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026
His income moved dramatically from year to year, from a high of around $166 million in 2021 to a low of around $8 million the following year.
—Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 4 Apr. 2026
The musical, which examines in jumbled chronology the five-year relationship between novelist Jamie and actress Cathy, debuted in Chicago in 2001 and opened off Broadway the following year.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 4 Apr. 2026
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Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
In the following months, painful shocks radiated through her chest and back.
—Brett Kelman, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026
His income moved dramatically from year to year, from a high of around $166 million in 2021 to a low of around $8 million the following year.
—Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 4 Apr. 2026
The musical, which examines in jumbled chronology the five-year relationship between novelist Jamie and actress Cathy, debuted in Chicago in 2001 and opened off Broadway the following year.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 4 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the following
Cite this Entry
“The following.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20following. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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