follow

followverb

To follow is to come after something, in place, in time, or by doing what it says.

1. go aftergo or come after someone or something

   transitive or intransitive [T/I] verb + object [V + obj] verb + adverb or preposition [V + adv/prep]

   • Follow me, and I'll show you the way. V + obj
   • The dog followed her home. V + obj
   • He left the room, and she followed.
   • I think that car is following us. V + obj

   Collocations

   adverb + verb follow closely

   verb + adverb follow behind

   phrase follow someone home, follow someone around

2. road or pathgo along a road, a river, or a path

   transitive [T] verb + object [V + obj]

   • Follow this road until you reach the bridge. V + obj
   • The path follows the river for a few miles. V + obj
   • Just follow the signs to the station. V + obj

   Collocations

   verb + noun follow a road, follow a path, follow the signs, follow a map

3. instructionsdo what a rule, an order, or a piece of advice tells you to do

   transitive [T] verb + object [V + obj]

   • Just follow the instructions on the box. V + obj
   • You should follow your doctor's advice. V + obj
   • Everyone has to follow the safety rules. V + obj

   Collocations

   verb + noun follow the rules, follow instructions, follow advice, follow orders, follow a recipe

   Synonyms obey

   Antonyms ignore

4. come nexthappen or come after something in time or order

   transitive or intransitive [T/I] verb + object [V + obj] usually passive [usually passive]

   • A short speech followed the dinner. V + obj
   • In the weeks that followed, things slowly got better.
   • The meeting was followed by lunch. V + obj (passive)

   Collocations

   phrase in the days that followed, be followed by something, soon follow

   Compare precede

5. understandunderstand an explanation or a story as it goes on

   Often in questions and with a negative, to check or say that someone understands.

   transitive or intransitive [T/I] verb + object [V + obj]

   • I'm sorry, I don't quite follow.
   • The story was hard to follow.
   • Are you following me so far? V + obj

   Collocations

   phrase easy to follow, hard to follow, follow an argument

6. be interestedbe interested in something and keep learning what happens in it

   transitive [T] verb + object [V + obj]

   • Do you follow basketball? V + obj
   • She follows the news very closely. V + obj
   • I followed the story for weeks. V + obj

   Collocations

   verb + noun follow the news, follow a team, follow a sport

   1. achoose to see someone's messages and pictures on a website or on your phone

      transitive [T] verb + object [V + obj]

      • I follow her on social media. V + obj
      • Thousands of people follow his account. V + obj

      Collocations

      verb + noun follow someone, follow an account

7. be truebe true because something else is true

   Used with it as the subject: it follows that, it does not follow that.

   intransitive [I] verb + that-clause [V + that]

   • If he was at home all day, it follows that he could not have taken the money. V + that
   • Just because it's expensive, it doesn't follow that it's good. V + that

   Collocations

   phrase it follows that, it does not follow that

See also follow up