the following
noun
: the following one or ones
—used to introduce a list, a quotation, etc.
The finalists are the following: Mary, James, and George.
The following are the times of departing trains: 2 p.m., 4 p.m., and 8 p.m.
Examples of the following in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
On the following drive, the 49ers were knocking on the door with their first red zone trip early in the fourth quarter.
—
Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 4 Jan. 2026
Winning off-year special elections is a good barometer of which party will do well in the following year's midterm elections, and the party in power has historically borne the brunt of the political punishment in tough times.
—Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 3 Jan. 2026
Simon & Schuster reclassified the book as fiction and, to the firm’s surprise, more orders poured in—the following week, the book topped the best-seller list again, in its new category.
—Michael Waters, New Yorker, 3 Jan. 2026
But then a writer’s strike hit Hollywood in May 2023, putting filming on pause and pushing their move to the following January.
—Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 3 Jan. 2026
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Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 4 Jan. 2026
Winning off-year special elections is a good barometer of which party will do well in the following year's midterm elections, and the party in power has historically borne the brunt of the political punishment in tough times.
—Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 3 Jan. 2026
Simon & Schuster reclassified the book as fiction and, to the firm’s surprise, more orders poured in—the following week, the book topped the best-seller list again, in its new category.
—Michael Waters, New Yorker, 3 Jan. 2026
But then a writer’s strike hit Hollywood in May 2023, putting filming on pause and pushing their move to the following January.
—Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 3 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the following
Cite this Entry
“The following.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20following. Accessed 4 Jan. 2026.
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