as in next
being the one that comes immediately after another
the following morning, I found the cat was gone
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in audience
a group of people showing intense devotion to a cause, person, or work (as a film)
that rock star attracts quite a following
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in succeeding
to come after in time
a wrap-up always follows the Super Bowl broadcast
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pursuing
to go after or on the track of
let's follow the boys to their hiding place
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in obeying
to act according to the commands of
follow me, and you'll do OK
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in traversing
to make one's way through, across, or over
followed the path into the garden
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in noting
to take notice of and be guided by
don't follow his advice
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in watching
to keep one's eyes on
stood on the platform and followed the departing train until it disappeared from sight
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of following
Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2026
Under the current version of the empty homes tax measure, owners of vacant second homes would have to pay an annual levy of $8,000 the first year, effective in 2027, and $10,000 every following year.
—Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Feb. 2026
Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 21 May 2026
The compact totes have developed a cult‑like following among the store's customers and the fashion-conscious.
—Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 20 May 2026
Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2026
New York City's LaGuardia Airport reopened Monday following Sunday night's runway crash.
—Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 23 Mar. 2026
Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 18 May 2026
James Gray’s sixth film at the Cannes Film Festival, Paper Tiger, drew a ten-minute standing ovation last night following its world premiere at the Grand Theatre Lumiere.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 17 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for following
Adjective
Adhere to the two-second rule for maintaining a safe following distance behind the vehicle in front of you.
—Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2026
Under the current version of the empty homes tax measure, owners of vacant second homes would have to pay an annual levy of $8,000 the first year, effective in 2027, and $10,000 every following year.
—Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Feb. 2026
Noun
The film made around $93 million at the global box office during its run, and has since garnered a devoted following in the 21 years since its bow.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 21 May 2026
The compact totes have developed a cult‑like following among the store's customers and the fashion-conscious.
—Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 20 May 2026
Preposition
Campbell appeared emotional following Wednesday’s hearing.
—Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2026
New York City's LaGuardia Airport reopened Monday following Sunday night's runway crash.
—Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 23 Mar. 2026
Verb
Meanwhile, the White House is touting a series of deals following the trip to China.
—Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 18 May 2026
James Gray’s sixth film at the Cannes Film Festival, Paper Tiger, drew a ten-minute standing ovation last night following its world premiere at the Grand Theatre Lumiere.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 17 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for following
Recent Examples of Synonyms for following
Adjective
-
Hernandez, now a Southern Section champion again, along with all the other winners will move onto the CIF preliminaries next Saturday to face the rest of the state's top female jumpers, with a chance to get back to the state finals.—
Jackson Thompson OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
17 May 2026
-
Otherwise, the Canadiens were stopped on their first shot and scored on their next three in Game 6; the Sabres were stopped on their first shot and scored on three straight against Jakub Dobeš in Game 5.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
But watching Trump swan around Beijing with an entourage of prominent American CEOs, including Elon Musk and Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, left the impression that the American president sees China as a business opportunity rather than as a security threat.—
Michael Schuman,
The Atlantic,
15 May 2026
-
With seconds to spare, the pop star and her entourage ran to find their seats just before the first model walked out.—
Katie Abel,
Footwear News,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
In March, the group released a documentary on Netflix, which chronicled their balancing act during the making of Arirang as the band looked to honor its roots in Korea even as their audience has expanded to encompass the entire world.—
Nicole Fell,
HollywoodReporter,
20 May 2026
-
The band isn’t worried about label expectations or pleasing mainstream audiences.—
Maya Georgi,
Rolling Stone,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
Allin, showing his guts, kept his pursuit of glory.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
14 May 2026
-
Certainly like Trump in his first race for the presidency, Pratt is upping his brand (and book sales) in the process of his electoral pursuits.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
14 May 2026
Preposition
-
The proximity to the city centre, stands named after heroes, the feeling of the club being a big deal in a city centre that does need that gravitas.—
Andy Mitten,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
-
But after leaping and stretching his torso over the top of the wall, the ball fell just out of his reach.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
21 May 2026
Verb
-
Officials said their work is largely succeeding, as the bears are beginning to exhibit more natural behaviors common for bears in the wild.—
Caleb Lunetta,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 May 2026
-
Yet a small number of companies are succeeding, in part by linking their AI and cost-reduction efforts.—
Paul Goydan,
Fortune,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
After opting against pursuing a deal for Mike Maignan last summer, Chelsea have stuck with Robert Sanchez as No 1 — bar a brief spell where Filip Jorgensen usurped him in March.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
-
And, to be sure, sometimes home runs are attainable and worth pursuing.—
Eddy Azad,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
The tradition of Georgia football players not obeying traffic laws is alive and well in 2026 thanks to safety Ja'Marley Riddle, who was arrested last week on speeding and felony possession charges.—
Trey Wallace OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
14 May 2026
-
Dupree confided in Firecracker about how his church was destroyed by one of Homelander's obeying supes and asked for her help in rebuilding.—
Staff Author,
PEOPLE,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Following.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/following. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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