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Synonyms for follow

verb

  1. To come after

    succeed, come next, ensue, replace, supplant, postdate, go behind, bring up the rear, tailgate, tag along*; see also succeed 2.

  2. To regulate one's action

    conform, observe, imitate, copy, take after, match, follow in the footsteps of, walk in the shoes of, mirror, reflect, follow the example of, do as, mimic, hold fast, follow suit, do like*, emulate, obey, abide by, adhere to, heed, string along, comply, be in keeping, harmonize, be consistent with, attend to, accord; see also conform.

    Antonyms disregard, neglect*, depart from.

  3. To be a follower

    serve, support, attend; see accompany 1, obey 2.

  4. To go in pursuit of

    chase, trail, track, stalk; see pursue 1.

  5. To observe

    heed, regard, keep an eye on, keep up with; see watch 1.

  6. To understand

    comprehend, catch, grasp; see understand 1.

  7. To result

    result, ensue, proceed from, spring from, come from, happen, develop, arise; see also result.

follow is the general word meaning to come or occur after, but it does not necessarily imply a causal relationship with what goes before sunshine followed by rain; ensue implies that what follows comes as a logical consequence of what preceded clouds appeared and rain ensued; succeed implies that what follows takes the place of what preceded who succeeded Polk to the presidency?; result stresses a definite relationship of cause and effect between what follows and what preceded crime that results from poverty

See follow in Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus II


verb
  1. To keep (another) under surveillance by moving along behind:

    dog, shadow, track, trail. (Informal) bird-dog, tail. See precede
  2. To act in conformity with:

    abide by, adhere, carry out, comply, conform, keep, mind, obey, observe. Idiom: toe the line (or mark). See accept, same
  3. To take as a model or make conform to a model:

    copy, emulate, imitate, model (on, upon, or after), pattern (on, upon, or after). Idioms: follow in the footsteps of, follow suit, follow the example of. See same
  4. To occur after in time:

    ensue, succeed, supervene. Idiom: follow on (or upon) the heels of. See precede, time
  5. To occur as a consequence:

    attend, ensue, result. See cause, precede
  6. To perceive and recognize the meaning of:

    accept, apprehend, catch (on), compass, comprehend, conceive, fathom, get, grasp, make out, read, see, sense, take, take in, understand. (Informal) savvy. (Slang) dig. (Chiefly British) twig. (Scots) ken. Idioms: get (or have) a handle on, get the picture. See understand
phrasal verb
follow through

To strengthen the effect of (an action) by further action:

follow up, pursue. See continue
phrasal verb
follow up

To strengthen the effect of (an action) by further action:

follow through, pursue. See continue

See follow in American Heritage Dictionary 4 Synonyms

follow succeed ensue result supervene 

These verbs mean to come after something or someone. Follow, which has the widest application, can refer to coming after in time or order, as a consequence or result, or by the operation of logic: Night follows day. He disregarded doctor's orders, and a relapse followed. Because she decries violence, it follows that she won't carry a gun. To succeed is to come next after another, especially in planned order determined by considerations such as rank, inheritance, or election: The heir apparent succeeded to the throne.
Ensue usually applies to what is a consequence or logical development: After the government was toppled, chaos ensued.
Result implies that what follows is caused by what has preceded: Failure to file an income tax return can result in a fine.
Supervene, in contrast, refers to something that is often unexpected and that has little relation to what has preceded: “A bad harvest supervened” (Charlotte Brontë).

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