to follow

Examples

• All

• If you explain your argument clearly, I will be able to follow your reasoning without any confusion.

• I thought it might be interesting to follow the case.

  Hitler's Children (1943)

• We want to create the best plan and follow what happens step by step.

• If you give me enough to follow, I will find you.

• And, you know, I think really it's just, did I follow my own process?

• I think you should be able to follow what I'm going to say.

• Now we have many more opportunities to follow through and assess student learning.

  Academic text (2011)

• Thus, teachers might encourage children to use their fingers to follow along during reading.

  Academic text (2013)

• Students learn how to adapt and follow where the research leads them.

  Academic text (2015)

• By now I know the language well enough to follow radio and TV broadcasts without difficulty.

  Academic text (2008)

Synonyms

K

to keep track

vsto follow

208 2.7

To watch and write down progress or details

focuses on understanding spoken or logical explanations rather than ongoing monitoring

F

to follow the thread

vsto follow

1 4.8

Keep track of the main idea in a talk or story

is broader, applying to understanding any explanation or its reasoning

Antonyms

M

to misunderstand

164 1.8

To think something is true when it is not

Idioms

F

to follow in someone's footsteps

64 3.4

To do the same job as someone who came before you, for example a parent

E

easy to follow

16 1.0

Simple to understand and do

F

to follow your dream

15 3.4

To try to reach a personal goal despite problems

H

hard to follow

12 6.4

Difficult to understand

F

to follow the crowd

• Informal

5 3.2

To do what most people do without using your own ideas

F

to follow to the grave

• Informal

1 8.6

Stay loyal to someone until you die

F

to follow off a cliff

• Informal

1 8.4

To copy someone without thinking and get into trouble

Phrasal Verbs

F

to follow up

427 3.6

To take further action after something starts to make sure it finishes or succeeds

F

to follow up on

124 3.8

Take more action to check or finish something after first contact

F

to follow through

123 3.7

Continue and finish something you promised to do

F

to follow orders

123 2.9

To do what a person in charge tells you without asking questions

F

to follow the rule

80 2.8

Do what a rule says

F

to follow suit

• Informal

40 3.8

To do the same thing someone else did

F

to follow the instructions

16 1.0

To do what the directions say

F

to follow through

• Specialized

8 3.0

Finish a swing after you hit or release the ball

F

to follow the procedure

6 3.3

Do each required step in the correct order

F

to follow out

2 4.6

Continue an idea or plan until it is finished

F

to follow the thread

1 4.8

Keep track of the main idea in a talk or story

Compounds

F

follow-up

138 3.9

An action to check progress after an earlier activity

F

follow-up

41 3.1

A work that continues an earlier book or project

F

follow-up

33 3.0

A doctor's appointment to check recovery after treatment

F

follow-through

13 4.3

The act of finishing a task or keeping a promise to do what was planned

F

follow-on

• UK

4 9.1

A rule in cricket making a team bat again immediately after a very low first innings score

F

follow-through

• Specialized

2 4.9

The forward movement after a hit or swing that finishes the action smoothly

How Understood

to master

181 4.1

to follow

225 1.4

to catch on

78 3.9

to pick up

776 2.6

Surface Forms

Etymology