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to follow

to follow

352 4.2
To secretly watch someone to see what they do
  • verb
  • /ˈfɑloʊ/
translation icon : vigilar
  • Her skin prickled, as if unseen eyes followed her from the concealing shadows.
  • follow closely
  • follow patients
  • follow a cohort

It's like some guys tried to follow my bus home yesterday.

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Examples

  • Also interesting was they they've been following him, the FBI for at least four days.

  • I tried to follow her, but she took off.

  • Does... does Harper always follow you?

  • A guy steals a car, cops follow him at high speed.

  • It's that new FBI agent who's following me.

  • If they're following me, they're following you.

  • I'm gonna follow Wes and Victoria and observe from a distance till Wes makes his move.

  • The detective quietly followed the suspect through the crowded market.

  • She felt uneasy knowing someone was following her along the dark street.

  • As the storm approached, the meteorologist had to follow the weather patterns closely.

Synonyms

to track
vsto follow
2.3

To follow where a person or thing goes

is secret personal following often closer and more hidden than broad monitoring
to keep an eye on
vsto follow
  • Informal
408 2.4

To watch someone or something carefully to make sure nothing bad happens

is secret observation aimed at monitoring without being noticed
to spy
vsto follow
132 4.4

To secretly watch someone to get information for a government or company

is more general secret observation rather than systematic intelligence gathering
to snoop
vsto follow
89 5.7

To secretly look for someone's private information or watch them

is secret observation with neutral aims not necessarily nosy about private life
to tail
vsto follow
52 5.9

To follow someone closely and secretly to watch them

is general secret monitoring not necessarily extremely close or for capture
to trail
vsto follow
50 2.5

Follow someone closely to try to catch them

is secret surveillance for monitoring rather than capture or arrest
to keep tabs on
vsto follow
  • Informal
43 3.9

To watch someone or something closely over time to see what happens

is secret covert following rather than regular checking to stay informed
to shadow
vsto follow
27 6.0

To follow someone closely and secretly to watch what they do

is broader meaning secret observation not only close physical following
to surveil
vsto follow
9 8.4

To watch people or places closely to get information and stop crime

is informal secret observation rather than formal official monitoring
to keep a close watch
vsto follow
8 3.0

Look at a person or thing very carefully for a while to notice problems

is secret hidden observation rather than open careful watching
to set up a watch
vsto follow
1 4.8

To place people to look for danger and protect others

is secret following by a person that is mobile not just fixed surveillance

Antonyms

1.0

Choose not to pay attention to someone or something

Idioms

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

To try to reach a personal goal despite problems

Difficult to understand

Simple to understand and do

3 3.2

To do what most people do without using your own ideas

8.4

To copy someone without thinking and get into trouble

8.6

Stay loyal to someone until you die

Phrasal Verbs

197 3.6

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

Take more action to check or finish something after first contact

Continue and finish something you promised to do

To do what the directions say

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

Do what a rule says

to follow suit
  • Informal
33 3.8

To do the same thing someone else did

to follow through
  • Specialized
5 3.0

Finish a swing after you hit or release the ball

Do each required step in the correct order

Keep track of the main idea in a talk or story

Continue an idea or plan until it is finished

Compounds

78 3.9

An action to check progress after an earlier activity

57 3.1

A work that continues an earlier book or project

25 3.0

A doctor's appointment to check recovery after treatment

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

follow-through
  • Specialized
5 4.9

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

1 9.1

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

How Closely

to stalk
  • Offensive
195 7.4
to tail
52 5.9
to follow
352 4.2
to observe
619 2.4
to monitor
627 3.5

Surface Forms

follow infinitive
followed past
followed past participle
following present participle
follows third person singular

Etymology

Follow comes from an old English word folgian that meant 'to go after' or 'to accompany'. That's why to follow someone in secret is to go after them to watch what they do.