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
3
4
5
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
In a following move, Waller will be signing a one-year deal with Miami worth $5 million. Kevin McCormick, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 July 2025 Cassie also appeared with her baby bump in a following close-up shot as Fine’s hands cradled her stomach. Kayla Grant, People.com, 28 May 2025
Noun
The roster also includes Bhojpuri film star Pawan Singh, who commands a massive fan following, and accomplished athlete Sangeeta Phogat. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Sep. 2025 After the video rose in popularity and gained an online following, the short was eventually turned into a show, which debuted on Prime Video in 2024. Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
In some cases, officers on raids have gone to wrong addresses following leads that relied on artificial intelligence, increasing the chances of picking up the wrong person or putting an officer in danger, according to one current and two former officials. Ted Hesson, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2025 This was the first window following the departure of sporting director Matt Hobbs. Steve Madeley, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for following
Recent Examples of Synonyms for following
Adjective
  • Williams played decently well, but there are plenty of areas that need to improve for the Bears next week.
    Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Snag it before your next trip, and keep scrolling for more options at Target.
    Rachel Trujillo, Travel + Leisure, 9 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Her entourage, which included several assistants and a meditation coach, followed closely behind her.
    Denny Lee, Travel + Leisure, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Supporting star Jason Momoa walked the red carpet in a striking pink suit prior to the screening but snuck out with his entourage before the film played.
    Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Other streamers have found their own ways to account for expensive new sports rights, valuing games’ ability to bring in supplemental audiences who have proven likely to stick around.
    Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Parker took that exchange as a sign that his research might have finally found a sympathetic audience.
    Tom Bartlett, The Atlantic, 9 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • But at a time when strains of anti-intellectualism are on display in pockets of society, and at a time when all else in the world feels overwhelming, Yeo says she’s moved to see people express so much interest in educational pursuits.
    Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 13 Sep. 2025
  • On third-and-2 at the CU 20, the Buffs QB hurried left with seemingly the entire Houston defense in pursuit, spotted Omarion Miller just past the line of scrimmage, and shoveled him the ball before the red jerseys closed in.
    Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 13 Sep. 2025
Preposition
  • The Tesla had been at the impound lot for two days after being found abandoned on a Hollywood street, investigators said.
    Alex Stone, ABC News, 10 Sep. 2025
  • The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), which has organized dozens of boats to sail to Gaza carrying humanitarian aid, said that one of its main vessels was targeted in a drone strike just after midnight local time on Tuesday while docked near the Tunisian capital.
    Callum Sutherland, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Currently Kering’s deputy CEO in charge of brand development, Bellettini was seated next to Cantino at a press briefing in March when Demna, the Georgian designer who had revved up Balenciaga, was revealed as Gucci’s next creative director, succeeding Sabato De Sarno.
    Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 14 Sep. 2025
  • Lagarde has herself been president of the European Central Bank since 2019, succeeding Draghi.
    David Doty, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Trombone emphasized patience, adaptability, and learning to navigate timelines and stakeholders with other airmen pursuing innovation.
    Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Developers in Miami are pursuing the chance to build something new on the Miami Seaquarium property owned by Miami-Dade County while the parent company of the struggling theme park seeks to raise cash in bankruptcy court.
    Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • 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 15 Sep. 2025.

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