follow (redirected from followed)

follow someone or something about and follow someone or something around

to go the same route as someone or something all the time; to trail someone or something. Why are you always following me about? Stop following me around.

follow someone or something out

to go out right after someone or something. I followed her out and asked her if I could take her home. The dog followed Billy out and went to school with him.

See also: out

follow someone's lead

to do as someone else does; to accept someone's guidance; to follow someone's direction. Just follow my lead and you will not get lost. John followed his father's lead and became a lawyer.

See also: lead

follow someone up and follow up (on someone)

to check on the work that someone has done. I have to follow Sally up and make sure she did everything right. I follow up Sally, checking on her work. I'll follow up on her.

See also: up

follow something up and follow up (on something)

1. to check something out; to find out more about something. Would you please follow this lead up? It might be important. Please follow up this lead. I'll follow up on it. Yes, please follow up.

2. to make sure that something was done the way it was intended. Please follow this up. I want it done right. Please follow up this business. I'll follow up on it.

See also: up

follow in someone's tracks and follow in someone's footsteps

to follow someone's example; to assume someone else's role or occupation. The vice president was following in the president's footsteps when he called for budget cuts. She followed in her father's footsteps and went into medicine.

See also: track

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.

follow one's heart

Fig. to act according to one's feelings; to obey one's sympathetic or compassionate inclinations. I couldn't decide what to do, so I just followed my heart. I trust that you will follow your heart in this matter.

See also: heart

follow one's nose 

1. Lit. to go straight ahead, the direction that one's nose is pointing. The town that you want is straight ahead on this highway. Just follow your nose. The chief's office is right around the corner. Turn left and follow your nose.

2. Fig. to follow an odor to its source. The kitchen is at the back of the building. Just follow your nose. There was a bad smell in the basement—probably a dead mouse. I followed my nose until I found it.

See also: nose

follow orders

to do as one has been instructed. You have to learn to follow orders if you want to be a Marine. I didn't do anything wrong. I was only following orders.

See also: order

follow suit

to follow in the same pattern; to follow someone else's example. (From card games.) Mary went to work for a bank, and Jane followed suit. Now they are both head cashiers. The Smiths went out to dinner, but the Browns didn't follow suit. They stayed home.

See also: suit

follow the crowd

to do what everyone else is doing. I am an independent thinker. I could never just follow the crowd. When in doubt, I follow the crowd. At least I don't stand out like a fool.

See also: crowd

follow through (with something) and follow something through

to complete an activity, doing what was promised. I wish you would follow through with the project we talked about. You never follow through!

See also: through

tough act to follow and hard act to follow

Fig. a difficult presentation or performance to follow or improve upon with one's own performance. Bill's speech was excellent. It was a tough act to follow, but my speech was good also. In spite of the fact that I had a tough act to follow, I did my best.

See also: act, tough

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be a hard/tough act to follow

to be so good it is not likely that anyone or anything else that comes after will be as good Last year's thrilling Super Bowl, when the New York Giants beat the Buffalo Bills 20-19 will be a hard act to follow. The new Chairman knows his predecessor is a tough act to follow.

See also: act, hard

follow your nose 

1. to make decisions by thinking of how you feel about someone or something instead of finding out information about them As far as recruitment is concerned, I tend to follow my nose. I meet someone for an informal interview and see if I like them.

2. (informal) if someone tells you to follow your nose when they are explaining how to go to a place, they are telling you to continue in the same direction Take the first on your right and follow your nose.

See also: nose

follow in somebody's footsteps

to do the same job or the same things in your life as someone else, especially a member of your family He followed in his father's footsteps and went into the army.

See also: footstep

follow suit

to do the same as someone else has just done

Usage notes: If you follow suit when you are playing a card game, you put down a card with the same type of symbol on it as the card put down by the person before you.

If other companies lower their prices, we shall have to follow suit.

See also: suit

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a tough act to follow

so good that whatever happens next is not likely to seem as good The last mayor was one of the most beloved in the city's history, which means Mike Ransom has a tough act to follow.

See also: act, tough

as follows (slightly formal)

in this way or arrangement Treatment of your injury is as follows - wash the cut and change the bandage daily.

follow you to the ends of the earth

as far as possible You cannot leave me because I will follow you to the ends of the earth.

See also: earth, end

follow your nose

1. to move forward I followed my nose down the narrow streets toward where I remembered seeing a metro station.

2. to move in the direction of something you smell I tried hiding that shoe in the closet, but my dog followed her nose right to it.

See also: nose

follow in somebody's/something's footsteps also follow in the footsteps of somebody/something

to do something that was done before My mother told us never to follow in her footsteps, that we should always try to do better. The company is following in the footsteps of other great research organizations.

See also: footstep

follow suit

to do the same as someone else has just done If other stores lower their prices, we'll have to follow suit.

Etymology: based on the literal meaning of follow suit ( to play a card of the same type as someone else just played in a card game)

See also: suit

follow through (on something) also follow through with something

to continue something until it is completed It was an unpopular idea, but he followed through on it anyway. I am sorry now that I didn't follow through with music lessons when I was younger.

Etymology: based on the sports meaning of follow through (to continue the movement of a swing, even after hitting a ball)

See also: through

follow up (on something)

1. to act on something Some students said they were going to collect clothing, but they didn't follow up. You have to follow up on your application.

2. to discover more about something I'd like to follow up on Rita's question because I'm not sure I understood your answer to her.

See also: up

follow up with somebody

to continue talking to or working with someone I left Cynthia a message and asked her to follow up with Mr. Harley about his computer problem.

Usage notes: usually used when you talk to someone to be sure a problem is solved or a suggestion is acted on

See also: up

follow up with something

to do something after having done something else The gymnasts perform compulsory routines today and follow up with individual events tomorrow.

See also: up