follow-through

[ fol-oh-throo, -throo ]

/ ˈfɒl oʊˌθru, -ˈθru /

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See synonyms for follow-through on Thesaurus.com

noun

the completion of a motion, as in the stroke of a tennis racket.

the portion of such a motion after the ball has been hit.

the act of continuing a plan, project, scheme, or the like to its completion.

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Origin of follow-through

First recorded in 1895–1900; noun use of verb phrase follow through

Words nearby follow-through

followship, follow shot, follow suit, follow the crowd, follow the leader, follow-through, follow-up, folly, Folsom, Folsom man, Folsom point

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use follow-through in a sentence

Fluoride first entered an American water supply through a rather inelegant technocratic scheme.
Anti-Fluoriders Are The OG Anti-Vaxxers|Michael Schulson|July 27, 2016|DAILY BEAST
We see detoxing as a path to transcendence, a symbol of modern urban virtue and self-transformation through abstinence.
How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze|Lizzie Crocker|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Tend to your own garden, to quote the great sage of free speech, Voltaire, and invite people to follow your example.
How the PC Police Threaten Free Speech|Nick Gillespie|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The questions going through my mind are: How on earth are there Kalashnikovs and rocket launchers in the heart of Paris?
Ayaan Hirsi Ali: Our Duty Is to Keep Charlie Hebdo Alive|Ayaan Hirsi Ali|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Cold War fears could be manipulated through misleading art to attract readers to daunting material.
How Pulp Fiction Saved Literature|Wendy Smith|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Before Ripperda could unclasp his lips to reply, the stranger had opened the door, and passed through it like a gliding shadow.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
A constant sense of easy balance should be developed through poising exercises.
Expressive Voice Culture|Jessie Eldridge Southwick
This city stands upon almost two equal parts on each side the river that passes through.
Gulliver's Travels|Jonathan Swift
Nothing remarkable occurred in our march through this country.
The Life and Most Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, Mariner (1801)|Daniel Defoe
Just corporeal enough to attest humanity, yet sufficiently transparent to let the celestial origin shine through.
Pearls of Thought|Maturin M. Ballou

British Dictionary definitions for follow-through

follow through

verb (adverb)

sport to complete (a stroke or shot) by continuing the movement to the end of its arc

(tr) to pursue (an aim) to a conclusion

noun follow-through

sport

the act of following through
the part of the stroke after the ball has been hit

the completion of a procedure, esp after a first action

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-through

follow through

In sports such as tennis or golf, carry a stroke to completion after striking the ball. For example, You don't follow through on your backhand, so it goes into the net. [Late 1800s]

Carry an object, project, or intention to completion; pursue fully. For example, She followed through on her promise to reorganize the department. Also see follow up, def. 1.