follow on
1. verb To leave for a destination after someone else has already done so. You guys go ahead—I'll follow on when I'm done cleaning up here. I wonder where Jane is. She said she'd follow on and meet us at the restaurant. A: "I can't wait for you any longer." B: "That's fine. You go on ahead, and I'll follow on when I'm done my makeup."
2. verb To die after someone else has already died. Grandpa died first, and Grandma followed on about six months later. My parents were married for over 50 years, so I'm not surprised that Dad followed on after Mom died. I bet Lisa died of a broken heart if she followed on so soon after her husband died.
3. noun Something that comes after something else and builds upon it. The phrase is typically hyphenated when used as a noun. This is just a follow-on to our conversation yesterday, to make sure we share the same vision for the décor. French III has to be a follow-on of French II, right? Eh, the film takes place in the same universe, but it's not a sequel or anything. It's not a follow-on of the plots of the previous movies.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
follow on
(after someone or something) 1. Lit. to depart and arrive after someone or something. I can't leave now. I will have to follow on after the others. I will follow on later.
2. Fig. to die at a date later than someone or a group. She followed on after her husband a few years later, He died in June and she followed on in August.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.