following 1 of 4

as in next
being the one that comes immediately after another the following morning, I found the cat was gone

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

following

2 of 4

noun

1
as in entourage
a body of employees or servants who accompany and wait on a person a prince with a large following to do practically everything for him

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2
as in audience
a group of people showing intense devotion to a cause, person, or work (as a film) that rock star attracts quite a following

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3

following

3 of 4

preposition

as in after
subsequent to in time or order following the concert, there will be refreshments in the lobby

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

following

4 of 4

verb

present participle of follow
1
as in succeeding
to come after in time a wrap-up always follows the Super Bowl broadcast

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
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4
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6

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 following
Adjective
Berry's following post, shared to Instagram on Aug. 17, featured her in a brand-new look. Starr Bowenbank, People.com, 19 Aug. 2025 Following his arrest on May 2, Hinton gained a following online and raised thousands in multiple fundraisers on an online crowdfunding platform, GiveSendGo. David Ferrara, The Enquirer, 14 July 2025
Noun
Since its debut in 2014, the show has attracted a dedicated following, with fans tuning in to watch the dramatic and often heartwarming journeys of individuals agreeing to marry a complete stranger. Jane Lacroix, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025 With his unique falsetto, emotional delivery and irresistible backstory — retreating to a cabin in the woods following a pair of personal and professional breakups to record in solitude — Bon Iver earned significant industry respect and a devoted cult following. Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 23 Oct. 2025
Preposition
Rozier was arrested in Orlando, where the Heat stayed overnight following Wednesday’s 125-121 season-opening loss to the Magic. Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
For years, Simmons has been fighting his ex-wife, Kimora Lee, in court over millions of dollars in Celsius energy drink shares that the feds want to seize following the money-laundering conspiracy conviction of Kimora’s ex-husband Tim Leissner. Victoria Bekiempis, Rolling Stone, 3 Nov. 2025 The couturier was named Dior’s latest creative director in June 2025, following Maria Grazia Chiuri’s departure from the maison. Julia Teti, Footwear News, 3 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for following
Recent Examples of Synonyms for following
Adjective
  • Amazon says its Web Services unit should be able to supply everything OpenAI needs by the end of next year.
    Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2025
  • But the organization needs resources to sustain its essential work and to achieve its laudable goal of ending elder hunger in the city in the next 15 years.
    Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 4 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Tiel traveled with her in the late '60s and early '70s, spending many months with her and her entourage in the finest hotels all over Europe on various film shoots.
    Liz McNeil, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
  • The costumed entourage will make their way through Jefferson Street venues like Foy, Taylors, Electric Lime, Experts Only and SportClub.
    Angelika Ytuarte, jsonline.com, 23 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Mamdani has also embraced the world of podcasters and influencers, recently hosting a news conference exclusively for content creators that his campaign said was aimed at reaching new and less politically engaged audiences, according to NBC News.
    Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
  • However, as the show continues to capture audiences with a dramatization of one of the most notorious true crime cases in modern American history, the man responsible for the killings is asking viewers to consider watching with a skeptical mind.
    Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 5 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Al-Khelaifi and Perez’s relationship was seriously damaged by Real Madrid’s long pursuit of Mbappe, which finally ended with the player leaving PSG to join Madrid in summer 2024.
    Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Gentleman thief Sir Charles Lytton (David Niven) circles the prize while Inspector Jacques Clouseau (Peter Sellers) bungles the pursuit with sublime obliviousness.
    Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 25 Oct. 2025
Preposition
  • One year after taking the helm, Niccol’s restructuring plan – including menu pare-back as well as store closures and remodeling – has shown mixed results.
    John Liu, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2025
  • Advertisement His campaign website states that after rent, childcare is the biggest cost for New York’s working families.
    Connor Greene, Time, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Before Lauder announced her departure from the family business in October 2024, she was seen as a top candidate to become president and chief executive officer of Estée Lauder, succeeding Fabrizio Freda, who had revealed plans to retire before 2026.
    Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 2 Nov. 2025
  • Comcast its elevating Steve Croney to CEO of its core Connectivity & Platforms division, succeeding Dave Watson, effective January 1.
    Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Aleister Black has revealed that his new on-screen partnership with his wife, Zelina Vega, was an idea that WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H was not initially interested in pursuing.
    Andrew Ravens‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
  • Kuehneman succeeds Jacinth Smiley, who is leaving the company and will be pursuing other opportunities, according to the announcement.
    Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 31 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • While current power brokers haven’t scrapped movies over their content, yet, Hollywood has a recent history of companies obeying in advance by shelving projects until the tensions cool.
    Chris Yogerst, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2025
  • It was intended simply to verify that a nonviolent offender was obeying curfew hours.
    Robert S. Gable, IEEE Spectrum, 20 July 2017

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Cite this Entry

“Following.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/following. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.

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