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as in to succeed
to come after in time a wrap-up always follows the Super Bowl broadcast

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word follow different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of follow are ensue, succeed, and supervene. While all these words mean "to come after something or someone," follow may apply to a coming after in time, position, or logical sequence.

speeches followed the dinner

When is it sensible to use ensue instead of follow?

While the synonyms ensue and follow are close in meaning, ensue commonly suggests a logical consequence or naturally expected development.

after the talk a general discussion ensued

When is succeed a more appropriate choice than follow?

Although the words succeed and follow have much in common, succeed implies a coming after immediately in a sequence determined by natural order, inheritance, election, or laws of rank.

she succeeded her father as head of the business

When can supervene be used instead of follow?

The words supervene and follow can be used in similar contexts, but supervene suggests the following or beginning of something unforeseen or unpredictable.

unable to continue because of supervening circumstances

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of follow London came in at number two, followed by Hong Kong, Monaco, and Zurich. India Brown, Robb Report, 15 July 2025 Amtrak warned riders to expect delays on the Northeast Corridor line Tuesday morning, following torrential downpours and flooding in the New York region overnight. Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 15 July 2025 Also be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow me here on this blog. Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025 Chisholm followed that free pass with a questionable sac bunt for the first out of the inning. Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 1 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for follow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for follow
Verb
  • Xiaomi has succeeded, while Apple barely got off the ground.
    Brendan Ahern, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025
  • Smith succeeds former Maryland athletic director Damon Evans, who departed for SMU in March after a simmering conflict with former head men’s basketball coach Kevin Willard came to a head during the Terrapins’ NCAA Tournament run last season.
    Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 15 July 2025
Verb
  • Together, they’re pursued by Magneto's (Ian McKellen) Brotherhood of Mutants and eventually rescued by Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and the X-Men.
    EW.com, EW.com, 14 July 2025
  • Rather than pursuing general-purpose models that compete with ChatGPT, Switzerland aims to develop large language models for specific applications in fields such as science, education, healthcare, robotics and climate studies.
    Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
Verb
  • Maybe a different sect says that AI is to be obeyed only if the human heading the sect has first substantiated the AI’s pronouncements.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
  • In mid-June, the judge found the attorney general in contempt, instructing him to provide her with biweekly updates on how the state was obeying her order blocking enforcement of the immigration law.
    Jay Weaver July 9, Miami Herald, 9 July 2025
Verb
  • Zion is popular with adventure travelers for challenging hikes such as The Narrows, where hikers traverse Zion Canyon through its narrowest section, which has 1,000-foot-tall walls.
    Michael Salerno, AZCentral.com, 25 July 2025
  • The results are occasionally adorable: This is a film in which our heroes have to rattle around in a spaceship, Interstellar style, to travel through a wormhole, while other characters can traverse the far reaches of the universe with a surfboard.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 22 July 2025
Verb
  • Gorgeous George was an effective self-promoter, and his character was a major influence on boxer Muhammad Ali and musician James Brown, as noted in Little Village Magazine.
    Mark LaSota, Forbes.com, 27 July 2025
  • Mas also noted there were six MLS games Friday night, less than 48 hours after an All-Star Game.
    Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 26 July 2025
Verb
  • Sun Circle in Tucson Tucked alongside the dusty trails of Rillito River Park in Tucson, Sun Circle is a ceremonial structure built for observing the sun's movement.
    Olivia Rose, AZCentral.com, 26 July 2025
  • Critics say displaying those details may encourage some observing the festival to boycott shops owned by those of another faith – an attack on the secularism enshrined in the constitution.
    Aishwarya S. Iyer, CNN Money, 25 July 2025
Verb
  • The roof began going green in 2010, when the Detroit-Wayne Joint Building Authority and property management company Hines started replacing crumbling portions with sedum in the name of sustainability.
    Violet Ikonomova, Freep.com, 21 July 2025
  • But to achieve that Miami needs to address some pressing questions about a unit that will be replacing Jalen Ramsey, Jevon Holland, Calais Campbell, Emmanuel Ogbah, Kendall Fuller, Jordan Poyer and Anthony Walker Jr., seven of last year’s 11 defensive starters.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 20 July 2025
Verb
  • Two years after the Goetz incident, a white mob in the Italian American enclave of Howard Beach in New York chased 23-year-old Michael Griffith and two friends, all Black, and beat Griffith to death for simply being in their neighborhood.
    Robert Chiarito, Chicago Tribune, 14 July 2025
  • The song is a tribute to musical nomads who chase the impulses of a song around the globe.
    Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 14 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Follow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/follow. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

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