26984 words

follows

28 definitions • 52 examples
1
to move behind someone or something and go where he, she, or it goes:

Examples:

A dog followed us home.
She followed me into the kitchen.
He had the feeling he was being followed (= someone was going after him to catch him or see where he was going).
I could feel them following me with their eyes (= watching my movements closely).
follow the crowd Do your own thing, don't just follow the crowd (= do what everyone else does).
2
to go in the same direction as a road, path, etc.:

Examples:

Follow the road for two miles, then turn left.
3
in a game of cards, to play a card of the same suit (= any of the four types of card in a set of playing cards, each having a different shape printed on it) as the card that has just been played:

Examples:

You have to follow suit if you can, but if you can't, you can play a trump.
4
to do the same thing as someone else:

Examples:

When one airline reduces its prices, the rest soon follow suit.
5
to happen or come after something:

Examples:

We were not prepared for the events that followed (= happened next).
The book was delivered yesterday with a note saying the bill for it would follow in a day or two.
The meal consisted of spinach salad, followed by roast chicken (= with this as the next part).
follow something with something We will go for a short walk along the river, and follow that with a drink at a riverside café.
follow something up with something She published a book of poems and followed it up with (= next produced) a novel.
6
said to introduce a list of things:

Examples:

The winners are as follows - Woods, Smith, and Cassidy.
7
to obey or to act as ordered by someone:

Examples:

follow someone's advice I decided to follow her advice and go to bed early.
8
to happen or develop in a particular way, or to act so that things happen or develop in a particular way:

Examples:

follow a path The euro shot up 10% against the dollar, and the yen followed a similar path.
The two sisters followed very different career paths.
follow a pattern She studied his arguments in debates and noticed they followed the same pattern.
9
to have a great interest in something or watch something closely:

Examples:

He follows most sports avidly.
10
to happen as a result, or to be a likely result:

Examples:

it follows that Just because I agreed last time, it doesn't necessarily follow that I will again.
11
to understand something as it is being said or done:

Examples:

I'm sorry, I don't quite follow (you).
12
to read the notes or words of a piece of music or writing at the same time as they are being played or said
13
If you follow a particular person on a social media website (= a website where people can publish their thoughts, photographs, information about themselves etc.), you choose to see everything that person posts (= publishes) on the website.
14
to move along after someone or something, or to move along a route or path:

Examples:

[ T ] The dog followed us home.
[ I ] He drove ahead and we followed in our own car.
[ T ] Follow this road for the next two miles.
15
To follow someone is also to move along after a person in order to watch where that person is going:

Examples:

[ T ] She had the feeling she was being followed.
16
to happen after something else in order or time:

Examples:

[ I ] We were not prepared for what followed.
[ T ] A reception will follow the meeting, so please stay.
17
to obey someone, or to act according to something:

Examples:

Follow the instructions in taking the medicine.
I decided to follow her advice.
If you follow the signs, you will have no trouble finding the airport.
18
to understand:

Examples:

He spoke so rapidly we could hardly follow what he said.
19
to be actively interested in something, or to give your attention to something:

Examples:

Do you follow football?
We’ve followed her political career for many years.
20
to happen as a result, or to be a likely result:

Examples:

[ + that clause ] Fuel prices for transporting goods have increased, so it would follow that those prices are getting passed on to customers.
21
to happen or come after something:

Examples:

More mergers are likely to follow.
October's increase followed a 1.6% rise in output in September.
22
to obey instructions or to do something according to a plan or someone's advice:

Examples:

The shelves are easy to assemble if you follow the instructions carefully.
follow orders/advice By following our advice, clients should save at least £770 a year.
follow a policy/a procedure/guidelines At the enquiry into the crash, the airline said that normal procedure had been followed.
23
to watch something closely to see how it develops:

Examples:

24
to do the same thing as someone:

Examples:

They were the first to introduce online ordering, but other companies have been quick to follow.
25
to be sent or paid at a later date:

Examples:

Your bank card will arrive first, and the PIN number will follow, in a separate envelope.
26
used to introduce a list of things:

Examples:

Our main aims are as follows: 1. efficiency 2. value for money 3. quality.
27
to do a particular job:

Examples:

The company has an open door policy to mature entrants who have followed alternative career paths.
28
to do the same as someone else:

Examples:

We expect that fund managers will take a lead by coming out in favour of one of the banks, at which point undecided investors will follow suit.

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