follow
to come after in sequence, order of time, etc.: The speech follows the dinner.
to go or come after; move behind in the same direction: Drive ahead, and I'll follow you.
to accept as a guide or leader; accept the authority of or give allegiance to: Many Germans followed Hitler.
to conform to, comply with, or act in accordance with; obey: to follow orders; to follow advice.
to imitate or copy; use as an exemplar: They follow the latest fads.
to move forward along (a road, path, etc.): Follow this road for a mile.
to come after as a result or consequence; result from: Reprisals often follow victory.
to go after or along with (a person) as companion.
to go in pursuit of: to follow an enemy.
to try for or attain to: to follow an ideal.
to engage in or be concerned with as a pursuit: He followed the sea as his true calling.
to watch the movements, progress, or course of: to follow a bird in flight.
to watch the development of or keep up with: to follow the news.
Digital Technology. to indicate interest in and establish a connection with (a social media account) so as to keep up with the online content it publishes, as posts, images, or videos: I follow my friends and some celebrities on Twitter, but nobody who tweets political stuff.
to keep up with and understand (an argument, story, etc.):Do you follow me?
to come next after something else in sequence, order of time, etc.
to happen or occur after something else; come next as an event: After the defeat great disorder followed.
to attend or serve.
to go or come after a person or thing in motion.
to result as an effect; occur as a consequence: It follows then that he must be innocent.
the act of following.
Digital Technology. an instance of following or subscribing to online content published by a social media account: Using hashtags is one way to get more follows on Instagram.
Billiards, Pool. follow shot (def. 2).
Digital Technology. noting or relating to a feature used to follow or subscribe to specific website content: a follow link;follow numbers and other digital marketing statistics.
follow out, to carry to a conclusion; execute: They followed out their orders to the letter.
follow through,
to carry out fully, as a stroke of a club in golf, a racket in tennis, etc.
to continue an effort, plan, proposal, policy, etc., to its completion.
follow up,
to pursue closely and tenaciously.
to increase the effectiveness of by further action or repetition.
to pursue to a solution or conclusion.
Idioms about follow
follow suit. suit (def. 21).
Origin of follow
1synonym study For follow
Other words for follow
Opposites for follow
Other words from follow
- fol·low·a·ble, adjective
- un·fol·low·a·ble, adjective
- un·fol·lowed, adjective
- well-followed, adjective
Words Nearby follow
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use follow in a sentence
That followed November’s elections when four new states legalized recreational marijuana, and two legalized medicinal use.
Canada’s largest cannabis company is turning its attention to the US | Karen Ho | February 11, 2021 | QuartzIsaiah Todd soon followed, shunning a scholarship offer from Michigan.
An NBA experiment lets draft prospects skip college, stay home and get paid to play | Michael Lee | February 11, 2021 | Washington Post“It’s really — it’s crazy times, and I’m not too scared of getting it personally, but I’m following all the rules that I’ve been told to follow,” Oshie said.
The Caps are dealing with an unexpected break. They hope to use it to recover and reset. | Samantha Pell | February 10, 2021 | Washington PostA witness told investigators that the Sikorsky S-76B disappeared into clouds as it followed the route of Highway 101 through a pass in the hills, a moment that also was recorded on video.
Then came the last president’s attempts to overturn the election results, followed by a violent insurrection at the Capitol and an inauguration held under tight covid restrictions and an ominous military presence.
‘Oh, we’re still in this.’ The pandemic wall is here. | Maura Judkis | February 9, 2021 | Washington Post
Tend to your own garden, to quote the great sage of free speech, Voltaire, and invite people to follow your example.
They prevailed last August, obtaining—follow me here—an injunction prohibiting the enforcement of those provisions.
The Back Alley, Low Blow-Ridden Fight to Stop Gay Marriage in Florida Is Finally Over | Jay Michaelson | January 5, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTThe follow-up story is how those who survived both the competitive onslaught, as well as the recession, have adapted.
JetBlue has been flying charter jets to Cuba for three years, and others are sure to follow.
An attorney was asked to follow up, but no records indicate what happened next.
In 1856 she married Mesdag, who, rather late in life decided to follow the career of a painter.
Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D. | Clara Erskine ClementYou will follow the suite of my daughter to Spain, and you will become the bosom Counsellor of the wife of your Prince?
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4 | Jane PorterShe now understood nearly all that was said directly to her, though she could not follow general and confused conversation.
Ramona | Helen Hunt JacksonA test examination would follow of a perfunctory character, and an intimation of your appointment would be the sequel.
These are obtained easily, whence follow the sinister reports that they give your Majesty, to the harm of the public welfare.
British Dictionary definitions for follow
/ (ˈfɒləʊ) /
to go or come after in the same direction: he followed his friend home
(tr) to accompany; attend: she followed her sister everywhere
to come after as a logical or natural consequence
(tr) to keep to the course or track of: she followed the towpath
(tr) to act in accordance with; obey: to follow instructions
(tr) to accept the ideas or beliefs of (a previous authority, etc): he followed Donne in most of his teachings
to understand (an explanation, argument, etc): the lesson was difficult to follow
to watch closely or continuously: she followed his progress carefully
(tr) to have a keen interest in: to follow athletics
(tr) to help in the cause of or accept the leadership of: the men who followed Napoleon
(tr) to choose to receive messages posted by (a blogger or microblogger): I've been following her online
(tr) rare to earn a living at or in: to follow the Navy
follow suit cards
to play a card of the same suit as the card played immediately before it
to do the same as someone else
billiards snooker
a forward spin imparted to a cue ball causing it to roll after the object ball
a shot made in this way
Origin of follow
1- See also follow-on, follow out, follow through, follow up
Derived forms of follow
- followable, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with follow
In addition to the idioms beginning with follow
- follow along
- follow in someone's footsteps
- follow one's nose
- follow out
- follow suit
- follow the crowd
- follow through
- follow up
also see:
- as follows
- camp follower
- hard act to follow
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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