1
as in to succeed
to come after in time a wrap-up always follows the Super Bowl broadcast

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3
4
5
6

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 The discovery also follows results from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) that last year indicated that dark energy is weakening. Robert Lea, Space.com, 6 Nov. 2025 The off-year elections of Virginia and New Jersey are often not indicators of the following midterms. Julia Manchester, The Hill, 6 Nov. 2025 The recipes below are arranged in the following order: cocktails, relishes, salads, sides, breakfast ideas, desserts. Joe Sevier, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 Nov. 2025 As different versions and spinoffs of the film followed, the actor stepped away but later came back when the series launched its final trilogy. Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for follow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for follow
Verb
  • Eventually, however, the astronaut Dave Bowman succeeds at deactivating HAL, ignoring the computer’s desperate pleas to stop.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
  • The new mayor will succeed Eric Adams, who was elected in 2021.
    Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Her teachers and counselor encouraged her to pursue higher education despite her parents’ stance.
    Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 26 Oct. 2025
  • With the owners expected to lock out the players and pursue a salary cap after the collective bargaining agreement expires after next season, the Dodgers serve as an easy foil.
    Andy McCullough, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • However, what has been less clear is whether dark matter obeys these same four forces.
    Robert Lea, Space.com, 4 Nov. 2025
  • The state is asking motorists to stay alert, drive without distractions and to obey reduced speed limits in the area.
    Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 3 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Lake-effect snow is anticipated as cold air traverses the relatively warm waters of the Great Lakes, with several inches of accumulation and hazardous travel possible, especially near Lakes Erie and Ontario.
    Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
  • In the wild, macaques can traverse miles of novel terrain each week and socialize through grooming, but in many laboratories they are isolated in barren cages no bigger than a washing machine.
    Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Edis, chief of the Landon family office and a protégé of its founder, the late swashbuckling billionaire Timothy Landon, who’s legendary as the chief political advisor to his military school chum, the sultan of Oman, notes that Swain gives Houlihan Lokey an extra edge.
    Shawn Tully, Fortune, 1 Nov. 2025
  • Rate cuts and some greater clarity around trade deals and tariffs were supposed to fuel a rebound in hiring heading into 2026, noted Nicole Bachaud, labor economist at employment site ZipRecruiter.
    Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The top of the mountain, also as yet unnamed, is the perfect spot from which to observe evolution.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025
  • Does every state observe daylight saving time?
    Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 2 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The last American to compete in the pinnacle of motorsport was Logan Sargeant, who raced for Williams for nearly two years before the team replaced him.
    Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Now, more often than not, they are replaced by casual dinners, drinks and thoughtful gestures.
    Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The coyote then chased after the child until the child's father noticed and started yelling until the coyote ran off.
    Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
  • The pictures show the inseparable duo standing side by side, playing together, and chasing each other.
    Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Follow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/follow. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on follow

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!