FOLLOWS Synonyms: 171 Similar and Opposite Words

follows

verb

present tense third-person singular of follow

as in replaces

to come after in time a wrap-up always follows the Super Bowl broadcast

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in pursues

to go after or on the track of let's follow the boys to their hiding place

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in obeys

to act according to the commands of follow me, and you'll do OK

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in traverses

to make one's way through, across, or over followed the path into the garden

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in notes

to take notice of and be guided by don't follow his advice

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in observes

to keep one's eyes on stood on the platform and followed the departing train until it disappeared from sight

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

winks
blinks

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of follows The incident follows a spate of drone attacks on at least seven cargo vessels off the Black Sea coasts of NATO members Romania and Bulgaria in October. — Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026 The film follows a Polish burglar who assumes the identity of a dead stranger’s girlfriend, with unexpected results. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 18 Oct. 2026 Thursday’s announcement follows the City Council’s approval of financing and zoning plans for the project. — Neil Nakahodo, Kansas City Star, 18 Oct. 2026 James Talarico follows the account on X and has interacted with it over the years. — Hailey Bullis, The Washington Examiner, 18 Oct. 2026 That follows a birth cohort, not the same individual households. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026 Saturday’s mobilization follows calls on social media to revive the yellow vest movement, which emerged in 2018 against social injustice. — ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026 This version of the game follows the same puzzle formula as previous titles in the series, but adds in a dog companion for an extra layer of complexity and action, and dives deeper into the dark undertones previous games hinted at. — Brad Bourque, The Verge, 17 Oct. 2026 The Mipcom presentation follows a May ruling by Spain’s Supreme Court concerning the game’s intellectual property rights. — Emiliano De Pablos, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for follows

Verb

At Moneypenny, smart technology supports rather than replaces human judgment, giving our teams the clarity to make confident decisions within clear guardrails.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
The Prospect Lake Clean Water Center, built under a public-private partnership, replaces Fiveash, a 1950s-era plant that has served Fort Lauderdale and surrounding communities for 73 years.

— Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of replaces

Verb

That output would provide substantial manufacturing capacity as the company pursues a higher flight rate.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare, a Democrat, expressed concern over surveillance footage that shows Parra Hernandez and another person jumping out of a white truck and running as a dark SUV pursues them.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of pursues

Verb

The Carolinian line heads from Charlotte to Raleigh and up the coast to New York City, and the Piedmont line traverses North Carolina.

— Eva Flowe October 9, Charlotte Observer, 9 Oct. 2026
This fourth full-length from the London jazz quintet traverses Black diasporic sound traditions — grime, reggae, Afrobeat — mulling over the question of how music so joyous can be rooted in histories of pain.

— Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of traverses

Verb

Hobbs' team notes that the Phoenix area is still one of the top spots in the country for new home construction.

— Hannah Knowles The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
Lindsey Burnett, a urogynecologist and assistant professor at UC San Diego who co-authored the study, notes that lower urinary tract symptoms that look and feel like a UTI can be caused by things other than bacteria.

— Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of notes

Verb

As PennLive observes, the $10,000 scheme is an unusual attempt by a data center developer to smooth over opposition in a section of the country which is overwhelmingly opposed to the facilities.

— Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 15 Oct. 2026
Yes, Costco is open for business today, as Columbus Day isn't among the seven holidays the discount chain observes.

— Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 12 Oct. 2026