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

174 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

53 1.8

To think something is true when it is not

Idioms

F

to follow in someone's footsteps

28 3.4

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

F

to follow your dream

18 3.4

To try to reach a personal goal despite problems

H

hard to follow

9 6.4

Difficult to understand

E

easy to follow

8 1.0

Simple to understand and do

F

to follow the crowd

• Informal

3 3.2

To do what most people do without using your own ideas

F

to follow off a cliff

• Informal

8.4

To copy someone without thinking and get into trouble

F

to follow to the grave

• Informal

8.6

Stay loyal to someone until you die

Phrasal Verbs

F

to follow up

197 3.6

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

F

to follow up on

95 3.8

Take more action to check or finish something after first contact

F

to follow through

86 3.7

Continue and finish something you promised to do

F

to follow the instructions

62 1.0

To do what the directions say

F

to follow orders

60 2.9

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

F

to follow the rule

55 2.8

Do what a rule says

F

to follow suit

• Informal

33 3.8

To do the same thing someone else did

F

to follow through

• Specialized

5 3.0

Finish a swing after you hit or release the ball

F

to follow the procedure

2 3.3

Do each required step in the correct order

F

to follow the thread

1 4.8

Keep track of the main idea in a talk or story

F

to follow out

1 4.6

Continue an idea or plan until it is finished

Compounds

F

follow-up

78 3.9

An action to check progress after an earlier activity

F

follow-up

57 3.1

A work that continues an earlier book or project

F

follow-up

25 3.0

A doctor's appointment to check recovery after treatment

F

follow-through

14 4.3

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

F

follow-through

• Specialized

5 4.9

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

F

follow-on

• UK

1 9.1

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

How Understood

to master

191 4.1

to follow

560 1.4

to catch on

37 3.9

to pick up

∞ 2.6

Surface Forms

Etymology