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Glite Dictionary
to follow up

to follow up

197 3.6
To take further action after something starts to make sure it finishes or succeeds
  • phrasal verb
  • /ˈfɑloʊ ʌp/
translation icon : dar seguimiento a
  • After our meeting, I plan to follow up by sending a summary of our discussion.
  • follow up on queries
  • follow up with patients
  • follow up with participants

So it actually makes sense that you follow up fats with sugars.

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Examples

  • You want me to follow up on that lead?

    Small Apartments (2012)

  • Further study is needed to follow up with patients after discharge to their homes.

    Academic text (2015)

  • So please follow up with questions, things like that.

    MIT OpenCourseWare

  • So, you know, you got to follow up with customers and and leads.

  • So I, you know, follow up and let me know how it's going.

  • You know, I tried to follow up on that story.

    Playback (2012)

  • I wanted to follow up on the e-mail I sent you...

    Super Size Me (2004)

  • I'm going to follow up later.

    Tell It Like a Woman (2022)

  • Police sources say they are following up on leads and have no suspects at this time.

    In the Woods (1999)

  • School principals need to follow up on new approaches and bring them to school.

    Academic text (2012)

Synonyms

to follow up on
vsto follow up
95 3.8

Take more action to check or finish something after first contact

aims to secure completion or success by taking further action

Antonyms

to neglect
256 3.8

Fail to care for someone or something you should look after

How Thoroughly

to follow up
197 3.6

Surface Forms

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

Morphology

follow + up

The sense 'to take further action' is broadly derivable from 'follow' (to go after or act on) plus the particle 'up' which adds a sense of continuation or completion, so the components point toward pursuing something further. However, as a phrasal verb the particle's aspectual contribution is somewhat pattern-dependent and not fully predictable for learners without exposure to similar verb+particle uses, so it is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Follow up: The phrasal verb follow up comes from the image of follow, meaning walking after someone, and up, meaning going back to finish or check something. So, it means 'to take further action' after something has started to make sure it is finished.