{
    "term": "follow",
    "partOfSpeech": "verb",
    "ox3000": true,
    "cefr": "a1",
    "verbForms": {
        "presentSimple": {
            "iYouWeThey": "follow",
            "heSheIt": "follows"
        },
        "pastSimple": "followed",
        "pastParticiple": "followed",
        "ingForm": "following"
    },
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "to come or go after or behind somebody/something",
            "sensetop": "follow somebody/somethingfollow somebody + adv./prep.",
            "cefr": "a1",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Follow me please.",
                    "contextForm": "follow somebody/something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "He followed her into the house.",
                    "contextForm": "follow somebody + adv./prep."
                },
                {
                    "text": "They were followed down the street by a bunch of photographers."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Wherever she led, they followed."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Sam walked in, with the rest of the boys **following closely** behind."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The dog followed obediently at her heels."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Follow me please. I'll show you the way."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She followed blindly, stumbling over stones in her path."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She beckoned him to follow her."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Johnson finished first, closely followed by Stevens and Higgins."
                },
                {
                    "text": "As Jackie walked up the aisle, her mother followed close behind."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["closely", "reluctantly", "dutifully"],
                "verb + follow": ["beckon somebody to", "beckon to somebody to"],
                "phrases": [
                    "being followed",
                    "follow close behind (somebody)",
                    "follow right behind (somebody)"
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "to come or go after or behind somebody in order to watch where they go and what they do",
            "sensetop": "follow somebody/something",
            "cefr": "a1",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "I think we're being followed."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Police followed the car along Station Road where it mounted the kerb again."
                },
                {
                    "text": "As she walked home, she had the feeling she was being followed."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "to come after something/somebody else in time or order; to happen as a result of something else",
            "sensetop": "follow (something/somebody)to followThere follows…as follows… follow on from something",
            "cefr": "a2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "I remember little of the days that followed the accident.",
                    "contextForm": "follow (something/somebody)"
                },
                {
                    "text": "A period of unrest followed the president's resignation."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The first two classes are followed by a break of ten minutes."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The main course was followed by fresh fruit."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I'll have soup and fish to follow.",
                    "contextForm": "to follow"
                },
                {
                    "text": "A detailed news report will follow shortly."
                },
                {
                    "text": "There followed a short silence.",
                    "contextForm": "There follows…"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The opening hours are as follows…",
                    "contextForm": "as follows…"
                },
                {
                    "text": "A new proposal followed on from the discussions.",
                    "contextForm": "follow on from something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "the workers' revolts that **followed in the wake of **the student uprising"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The first email was followed by a reminder to all who received the survey."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Periods of great creativity were followed by years in which he composed nothing."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Edward was followed in 1553 by Elizabeth's Catholic half-sister Mary."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Change, cause and effect"],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["closely", "quickly", "shortly"],
                "phrases": [
                    "(be) followed by something",
                    "follow in the wake of something"
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 4,
            "definition": "to do something after something else",
            "sensetop": "follow something with somethingfollow something up with something",
            "cefr": "a2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Give your contact details and follow this with a brief profile of yourself.",
                    "contextForm": "follow something with something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "They follow up their March show with four UK dates next month.",
                    "contextForm": "follow something up with something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Follow your treatment with plenty of rest."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He followed these novels with three volumes of autobiography."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["closely", "quickly", "shortly"],
                "phrases": [
                    "(be) followed by something",
                    "follow in the wake of something"
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 5,
            "definition": "to accept advice, instructions, etc. and do what you have been told or shown to do",
            "sensetop": "follow something",
            "cefr": "a2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "to follow **rules/procedures/guidelines**"
                },
                {
                    "text": "They said they were just **following orders**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "**Follow the instructions** very carefully."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Why didn't you **follow** my **advice**?"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Turn right and follow signs to Dundee."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I never follow a recipe completely."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He followed a strict diet."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I didn't really follow the recipe."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Read the label and follow the directions for use."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Leave the M4 at junction 11, then follow the signs."
                },
                {
                    "text": "When we tried to follow a sign directing us right into Greater Bridgewater Street, we found the road was closed."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Suggestions and advice"],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["carefully", "to the letter", "dutifully"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 6,
            "definition": "to accept somebody/something as a guide, a leader or an example; to copy somebody/something",
            "sensetop": "follow (somebody/something)follow somebody into something",
            "cefr": "a2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "I encourage others to **follow our example**.",
                    "contextForm": "follow (somebody/something)"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The Senate is expected to **follow the lead** of the House."
                },
                {
                    "text": "We believe it is in our best interests to **follow the path** of economic openness and growth."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The movie follows the book faithfully."
                },
                {
                    "text": "They followed the teachings of Buddha."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He always followed the latest fashions *(= dressed in fashionable clothes)*."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Where one airline leads, others follow."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Laura followed her mother into the medical profession *(= became a doctor like her mother)*.",
                    "contextForm": "follow somebody into something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Banks are expected to follow the building societies in raising mortgage rates."
                },
                {
                    "text": "It wasn't in his nature to follow blindly."
                },
                {
                    "text": "How do your feel your writing follows in the tradition of the South?"
                },
                {
                    "text": "slavishly following the views of his teachers"
                },
                {
                    "text": "I don't want you to follow my example and rush into marriage."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Following the example of Barcelona, greater emphasis is now given to public spaces."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He ordered a glass of champagne, and we followed his lead."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He leads by example and the others follow."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Marc is following a path laid down by his father."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["faithfully", "blindly", "slavishly"],
                "verb + follow": ["be expected to", "be likely to"],
                "phrases": [
                    "follow in somebody’s footsteps",
                    "follow in the tradition of somebody/​something",
                    "follow suit"
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 7,
            "definition": "to click on a link in a website",
            "sensetop": "follow something",
            "cefr": "a2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "**Follow the links** to sign up for the webinar."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 8,
            "definition": "to go along a road, path, etc.",
            "sensetop": "follow something",
            "cefr": "b1",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Follow this road until you get to the school, then turn left."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 9,
            "definition": "to go in the same direction as something or parallel to something",
            "sensetop": "follow something",
            "cefr": "b1",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The lane follows the edge of a wood for about a mile."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 10,
            "definition": "to be the logical result of something",
            "sensetop": "follow from somethingfollow on from somethingit follows that…",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "I don't see how that follows from what you've just said.",
                    "contextForm": "follow from something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Several conclusions follow on from his statement.",
                    "contextForm": "follow on from something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "If a = b and b = c it follows that a = c.",
                    "contextForm": "it follows that…"
                },
                {
                    "text": "It does not necessarily follow that sleep loss would cause these symptoms."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Change, cause and effect"],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["not necessarily", "logically", "naturally"],
                "preposition": ["(on) from"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 11,
            "definition": "to understand an explanation or the meaning of something",
            "sensetop": "follow somebodyfollow something",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Sorry, I don't follow."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Do you follow me?",
                    "contextForm": "follow somebody"
                },
                {
                    "text": "I couldn't really follow his argument.",
                    "contextForm": "follow something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The plot is almost impossible to follow."
                },
                {
                    "text": "to be easy/difficult/hard to follow"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Sorry, I don't follow you."
                },
                {
                    "text": "His argument was difficult to follow."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["not quite"],
                "verb + follow": ["be easy to", "be difficult to", "be hard to"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 12,
            "definition": "to watch or listen to somebody/something very carefully",
            "sensetop": "follow somebody/something",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The children were following every word of the story intently."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Her eyes followed him everywhere *(= she was looking at him all the time)*."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 13,
            "definition": "to take an active interest in something and be aware of what is happening; to support a sports team",
            "sensetop": "follow something",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "We've been **following this story** for months."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Have you been following the basketball championships?"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Millions of people followed the trial on TV."
                },
                {
                    "text": "In his leisure time he follows West Ham United."
                },
                {
                    "text": "They say it takes dedication to follow a football team week-in, week-out for eight months of the season."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Will this be a big shock to people who follow events closely in Washington?"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 14,
            "definition": "to choose to regularly see content from a person, company, etc. using a social media service",
            "sensetop": "follow somebody",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "I don’t follow many celebrities on Instagram any more."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Phones, email and the internet"]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 15,
            "definition": "to be about the life or development of somebody/something",
            "sensetop": "follow something",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The novel follows the fortunes of a village community in Scotland."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 16,
            "definition": "to develop or happen in a particular way",
            "sensetop": "follow something",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The day followed the usual pattern."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to do the same job, have the same style of life, etc. as somebody else, especially somebody in your family",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "She works in television, following in her father's footsteps."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He wanted to follow in his mother's footsteps and be a ballroom dancer."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "to be guided by your sense of smell",
            "examples": []
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "to go straight forward",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The garage is a mile ahead up the hill—just follow your nose."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "to act according to what seems right or reasonable, rather than following any particular rules",
            "examples": []
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "to play a card of the same suit that has just been played",
            "examples": []
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "to act or behave in the way that somebody else has just done",
            "examples": []
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "a person or event that is so good or successful at something that it will be difficult for anyone/anything else coming after them to be as good or successful",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "She has been an excellent principal and will be a hard act to follow."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Their contribution will prove a tough act to follow."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Success"]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈfɒləʊ/",
                "audio": "fo/follow/follow__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈfɒləʊz/",
                "audio": "fo/follow/follows__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈfɒləʊd/",
                "audio": "fo/follow/followed__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈfɒləʊɪŋ/",
                "audio": "fo/follow/following__gb_3.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈfɑːləʊ/",
                "audio": "fo/follow/follow__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈfɑːləʊz/",
                "audio": "fo/follow/follows__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈfɑːləʊd/",
                "audio": "fo/follow/followed__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈfɑːləʊɪŋ/",
                "audio": "fo/follow/following__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "Old English folgian, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch volgen and German folgen."
}