as in next
being the one that comes immediately after another
the following morning, I found the cat was gone
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in audience
a group of people showing intense devotion to a cause, person, or work (as a film)
that rock star attracts quite a following
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in succeeding
to come after in time
a wrap-up always follows the Super Bowl broadcast
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pursuing
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 obeying
to act according to the commands of
follow me, and you'll do OK
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in traversing
to make one's way through, across, or over
followed the path into the garden
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in noting
to take notice of and be guided by
don't follow his advice
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in watching
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
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of following
Kevin McCormick, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 July 2025
Cassie also appeared with her baby bump in a following close-up shot as Fine’s hands cradled her stomach.
—Kayla Grant, People.com, 28 May 2025
Olivia Evans, Louisville Courier Journal, 4 Sep. 2025
With more locations opening over the past several years in Aventura, Boca Raton, Brickell, Coral Gables, Miami Beach and most recently in the former site of Prime Fish on South Beach, Motek has earned a devoted following.
—Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2025
Ted Hesson, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2025
This was the first window following the departure of sporting director Matt Hobbs.
—Steve Madeley, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for following
Adjective
In a following move, Waller will be signing a one-year deal with Miami worth $5 million.
—Kevin McCormick, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 July 2025
Cassie also appeared with her baby bump in a following close-up shot as Fine’s hands cradled her stomach.
—Kayla Grant, People.com, 28 May 2025
Noun
Buffalo Trace, the iconic Kentucky distillery with a cult following, is hitting the road.
—Olivia Evans, Louisville Courier Journal, 4 Sep. 2025
With more locations opening over the past several years in Aventura, Boca Raton, Brickell, Coral Gables, Miami Beach and most recently in the former site of Prime Fish on South Beach, Motek has earned a devoted following.
—Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
In some cases, officers on raids have gone to wrong addresses following leads that relied on artificial intelligence, increasing the chances of picking up the wrong person or putting an officer in danger, according to one current and two former officials.
—Ted Hesson, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2025
This was the first window following the departure of sporting director Matt Hobbs.
—Steve Madeley, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for following
Recent Examples of Synonyms for following
Adjective
-
Williams played decently well, but there are plenty of areas that need to improve for the Bears next week.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Snag it before your next trip, and keep scrolling for more options at Target.—
Rachel Trujillo,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Supporting star Jason Momoa walked the red carpet in a striking pink suit prior to the screening but snuck out with his entourage before the film played.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2025
-
This quiz will dive into Neptune’s entourage and the strange dynamics of its outer world.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
30 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Other streamers have found their own ways to account for expensive new sports rights, valuing games’ ability to bring in supplemental audiences who have proven likely to stick around.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Parker took that exchange as a sign that his research might have finally found a sympathetic audience.—
Tom Bartlett,
The Atlantic,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The Regency-era romantic drama follows the lives of esteemed families of the British high society and their romantic pursuits through the lens of mysterious gossip columnist, Lady Whistledown.—
Stephanie Wenger,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Richard Hughes’ reputation is at an all-time high, given the success of his negotiations with Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk last season, allied with his successful pursuits of Wirtz, Isak, Hugo Ekitike, et al.—
The Athletic UK Staff,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
Preposition
-
The Tesla had been at the impound lot for two days after being found abandoned on a Hollywood street, investigators said.—
Alex Stone,
ABC News,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), which has organized dozens of boats to sail to Gaza carrying humanitarian aid, said that one of its main vessels was targeted in a drone strike just after midnight local time on Tuesday while docked near the Tunisian capital.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Traditional one-on-one coaching methods are having a hard time succeeding beyond top executives.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Sajet is succeeding Marcelle Polednik, who was MAM's Donna and Donald Baumgartner Director from 2016 until July of this year.—
Jim Higgins,
jsonline.com,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
But Stander and other preservationists are pursuing other avenues and got a boost last month.—
Vinod Sreeharsha,
Miami Herald,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Here, Fallon supports veterans pursuing entrepreneurship through acquisition at precisely the moment a generation of owners is retiring.—
Lyssanoel Frater,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
It was intended simply to verify that a nonviolent offender was obeying curfew hours.—
Robert S. Gable,
IEEE Spectrum,
20 July 2017
Cite this Entry
“Following.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/following. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
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