follow

verb

ˈfä-(ˌ)lō How to pronounce follow (audio)
Definition of follownext
1
as in to succeed
to come after in time a wrap-up always follows the Super Bowl broadcast

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to pursue
to go after or on the track of let's follow the boys to their hiding place

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to obey
to act according to the commands of follow me, and you'll do OK

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to traverse
to make one's way through, across, or over followed the path into the garden

Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in to note
to take notice of and be guided by don't follow his advice

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in to observe
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

Synonym Chooser

How is the word follow different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of follow are ensue, succeed, and supervene. While all these words mean "to come after something or someone," follow may apply to a coming after in time, position, or logical sequence.

speeches followed the dinner

When is it sensible to use ensue instead of follow?

While the synonyms ensue and follow are close in meaning, ensue commonly suggests a logical consequence or naturally expected development.

after the talk a general discussion ensued

When is succeed a more appropriate choice than follow?

Although the words succeed and follow have much in common, succeed implies a coming after immediately in a sequence determined by natural order, inheritance, election, or laws of rank.

she succeeded her father as head of the business

When can supervene be used instead of follow?

The words supervene and follow can be used in similar contexts, but supervene suggests the following or beginning of something unforeseen or unpredictable.

unable to continue because of supervening circumstances

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 follow Pinch-hitter Eli White followed by sneaking a soft line drive up the middle to drive in Durbin, cutting the Giants’ lead to 2-1. — Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 23 Aug. 2026 Cordovez questioned whether the city had acted too broadly by closing every public pool in Hialeah after the Florida Department of Health singled out Bucky Dent Water Park and shut it down following an inspection that documented 34 violations. — Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 22 Aug. 2026 Which, of course, is a very similar national strategy to the one that China has followed. — John Koetsier, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026 The Seattle Storm and Phoenix Mercury followed in 2024, and then Golden State in 2025. — Tamerra Griffin, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for follow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for follow
  1. succeed
  2. pursue
  3. obey
  4. traverse
  5. note
  6. observe
  7. replace
  8. chase
Verb
  • That firm allegedly coordinated with co-conspirators at Supermicro and Nvidia, succeeding for years at ensuring that China wasn’t completely blocked from accessing Nvidia’s most advanced AI chips.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Commonwealth Bank of Australia expects oil prices to remain volatile in the second half of the year as markets weigh whether Washington’s push to economically isolate Iran will succeed and how Tehran could respond.
    — Alex Harring,Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of succeed
Verb
  • Emomee plans to attend Mipcom later this year to pursue new deals across distribution and licensing.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The show is still selling out the Lyceum Theatre two years later—and remained a hit even after the departure of the Tony-winning Escola, who left the New York production in 2025 to pursue other opportunities.
    — Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of pursue
Verb
  • Another Portage Police officer also filed a resisting law enforcement charge because Hilliard failed to obey his commands to stop.
    — Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 17 Aug. 2026
  • People are riding e-bikes and e-motorcycles, sometimes riding recklessly, traveling at high speeds, or not obeying the rules of the road.
    — Ashley Portillo, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of obey
Verb
  • Jo and Sam competed together in Race Across the World, traversing Latin America for the BBC reality competition series, produced by Studio Lambert.
    — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Things to do 🧑‍🍳Famous chef Roy Choi traverses Los Angeles for lobster noodles and spicy tofu.
    — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of traverse
Verb
  • Bloomingdale’s chief merchant Denise Magid also cites backpacks as a strong and growing category, noting demand for classic Polo Ralph Lauren styles and bolder designs from brands like State and Sprayground.
    — Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Beresford notes the production made a point of casting an all-female band.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of note
Verb
  • On those days, Clancy was observed accepting medications, sometimes socializing with select patients, engaging with staff, hanging out in the TV room, and getting a visit from her parents, who would bring dinner.
    — Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The students allegedly observed a prayer, met participants in an MCA lead Quran-memorization program and were exposed to Zahra Billoo who is Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations Bay Area office.
    — Stephanie Lam, Mercury News, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of observe
Verb
  • Until China can produce or replace enough plasma of its own, tens of millions of patients needing human albumin, like Ge’s family, will remain heavily reliant on the vital fluid typically drawn from hard-up Americans.
    — CNN Staff, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Until then, the options to replace Weathers aren’t the most appealing.
    — Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of replace
Verb
  • John Hunt, Woodward Academy Hunt isn't just chasing 150 career wins.
    — Jack Leo, AJC.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • But cultivating consumer trust, as opposed to pursuing rapid product expansion and chasing virality, has become a defining — and differentiating — aspect of Westman Atelier’s go-to-market model.
    — Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of chase

Phrases Containing follow

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follies
follow
followed
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Cite this Entry

“Follow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/follow. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

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