FOLLOWS Synonyms: 171 Similar and Opposite Words

follows

verb

present tense third-person singular of follow

as in replaces

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in pursues

to go after or on the track of let's follow the boys to their hiding place

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in obeys

to act according to the commands of follow me, and you'll do OK

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in traverses

to make one's way through, across, or over followed the path into the garden

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in notes

to take notice of and be guided by don't follow his advice

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in observes

to keep one's eyes on stood on the platform and followed the departing train until it disappeared from sight

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

winks
blinks

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 follows The trip by the Americans follows a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Saturday, as both sides have escalated their aerial attacks. — Samya Kullab, Fortune, 6 Sep. 2026 The Niepołomice project follows a $100 million investment announced by Pratt & Whitney in April to expand its operations in Rzeszów, Poland. — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2026 The new Chicago staging follows a successful United Kingdom tour in 2024, directed by Michael Buffong, whom Epps said had discovered the show while sitting in New York’s Lincoln Center library, where Broadway musicals are memorialized. — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026 The film follows Vyan, a Kurdish sniper who has survived war by suppressing her emotions. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2026 This follows the model that worked for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. — Brian T. Bailey, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2026 If crews fall behind there, everything that follows can feel the delay. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2026 The 12-episode series – produced by Studio Dragon and released as a TVING original on CJ ENM‘s Korean streaming platform – follows Kang Seong-jae, played by Park Ji-hoon, a young man who joins the military to escape a difficult reality. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 30 Aug. 2026 White Pony ranks as the group’s second-longest-running effort with 40 frames somewhere on the tally, while Koi No Yokan follows with 15. — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for follows

Verb

To start the second half, Warriors has a new kicker as Jordan Heffernan replaces Rodrigo Bigio.

— Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Sep. 2026
Helios replaces those complex modular coils with an arrangement of planar magnets controlled through software.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of replaces

Verb

One brother pursues a young woman working in a parlour who is trying to break free of her home life, while the other sinks into drinking and despair as both men struggle to hold onto their dignity in the city’s rougher margins.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026
The novel focuses on the antics and escapes of Sebastian Dangerfield, who pursues fun times, ignoring his studies and his family.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of pursues

Verb

The human brain is a physical object, composed of biological material that obeys the laws that govern the rest of the universe, computers included.

— Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 10 Aug. 2026
Nietzsche says somewhere that the illusion of willpower rests on our tendency to identify with the part of our soul that commands, not the part that obeys.

— Meghan O’Gieblyn, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026

Definition of obeys

Verb

This fourth full-length from the London jazz quintet traverses Black diasporic sound traditions — grime, reggae, Afrobeat — mulling over the question of how music so joyous can be rooted in histories of pain.

— Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2026
Reliever optimizes availability After taking his head out of the cold tub, Blubaugh traverses the bowels of Daikin Park.

— Chandler Rome, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of traverses

Verb

Manchester United return to the Champions League after three years away, facing Azerbaijan outfit Sabah on… *checks notes* Thursday.

— Leon Imber, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Brough notes this is an entirely new product, blending high-end craftsmanship with design thinking from both the performance car and motorcycle domains.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of notes

Verb

Set in 1994, Speak follows a twelve-year-old boy who observes his father’s behavior turn terrifyingly unhinged following the inheritance of a vintage ventriloquist dummy.

— Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2026
For instance, when Spain claimed the Philippines as a colony, the new territory's closest tie to its mother country lay in Acapulco, Mexico, which observes the prior calendar date to the rest of Asia.

— Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of observes

Verb

Now Stahlman chases ducks all over the country and spends his winter guiding in Oklahoma through Legends Waterfowl.

— Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 9 Sep. 2026
In the video, Hilton’s 3-year-old son Phoenix can be seen giggling as the puppy playfully chases him around the room while 2-year-old sister London looks on.

— Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026