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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

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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 The film follows a group of travel vloggers who find themselves in a remote village haunted by ancient rituals and a terrifying legend. Zac Ntim, Deadline, 23 Apr. 2025 According to reports from Variety and the BBC, the Sin City actor, 72, agreed on Saturday, April 21, to exit the show following a disagreement between himself and fellow housemate Chris Hughes. Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 13 Apr. 2025 The two-out homer was followed by a Jonathan Aranda single and a fly ball smashed off the bat of Christopher Morel that Harris hauled in with a leaping, twisting catch in front of the center-field wall. David O'Brien, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025 Younger brother Tatum followed via surrogate in July 2022. Nicholas Rice, People.com, 13 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for follow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for follow
Verb
  • The endeavor succeeded and eventually became known as Shift4.
    Wendy Whitman Cobb, The Conversation, 10 Apr. 2025
  • But El Salvador’s crackdown on gang violence succeeded in large part because the country’s police had spent years carefully amassing legal evidence.
    Gisela Salim-Peyer, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • After the Justice Department reversed course in 2023, the judge presiding over the case gave Mr. Trump a July 13, 2023 deadline to further pursue the Westfall issue.
    Graham Kates, CBS News, 22 Apr. 2025
  • Federal prosecutors declined to pursue the death penalty.
    Christopher Cann, USA Today, 22 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The high-ranking priests swore to obey the rules of the funeral plans that Pope Francis made last year.
    Gabriele Regalbuto, FOXNews.com, 23 Apr. 2025
  • To some, such statements show the administration is refusing to obey the nation's highest court. Don't wait to get your Real ID Some states are in a scramble to make sure everyone has a compliant Real ID before a May 7 deadline.
    Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 22 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Weekends can get crowded, but weekdays are quieter, meaning the short, steep hikes to various overlooks—including Old Baldy (the park's most notable hill) will be less traversed.
    Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Hundreds, if not thousands, of insect species most likely migrate, including dragonflies that cross the Indian Ocean, moths that traverse Australia and plant hoppers that windsurf through East Asia.
    Jesse Greenspan, Scientific American, 13 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • As Southern critics noted at the time, for the wrong reasons but not with the wrong logic, the American Revolution was itself an act of secession—from a functioning and successful union.
    Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2025
  • Vatican watchers noted Francis’ determination to sweep clean institutions that had become rife with dysfunction, factionalism and accusations of corruption.
    Henry Chu, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • But, the best thing is always to be away from city lights in order to observe the fainter meteor streaks.
    Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Apr. 2025
  • The holiday was originally observed on April 19, the anniversary of the battles of Lexington and Concord, but was moved to the third Monday of April in 1969.
    Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • In a 2022 article in Daedalus, Erik Brynjolfsson argued that today’s key challenge is steering A.I. development toward augmenting the efforts of human workers rather than replacing them.
    John Cassidy, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Jones, 46, whose father, Emil Jones Jr., led the state Senate for years before orchestrating to have his son replace him in 2009, is charged with bribery, use of an interstate facility to solicit bribery and lying to federal agents.
    Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The capturing of one of the sun's most elusive features is bound to inspire others to chase partial eclipses, particularly those occurring at sunrise or sunset, Seaton said.
    Jamie Carter, Space.com, 22 Apr. 2025
  • Sugar Creek, Missouri police officers began chasing a woman in a car on Interstate 435 Monday afternoon, according to Officer Alayna Gonzalez, a Kansas City Police Department spokesperson.
    Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 21 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Follow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/follow. Accessed 27 Apr. 2025.

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