| follow | | |
| v. (motion) | 1. follow | to travel behind, go after, come after.; "The ducklings followed their mother around the pond"; "Please follow the guide through the museum" |
| ~ go, locomote, move, travel | change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically.; "How fast does your new car go?"; "We travelled from Rome to Naples by bus"; "The policemen went from door to door looking for the suspect"; "The soldiers moved towards the city in an attempt to take it before night fell"; "news travelled fast" |
| ~ lag, fall back, fall behind, dawdle | hang (back) or fall (behind) in movement, progress, development, etc.. |
| ~ tailgate | follow at a dangerously close distance.; "it is dangerous to tailgate another vehicle" |
| ~ shadow | follow, usually without the person's knowledge.; "The police are shadowing her" |
| ~ carry | pursue a line of scent or be a bearer.; "the dog was taught to fetch and carry" |
| v. (stative) | 2. follow, postdate | be later in time.; "Tuesday always follows Monday" |
| ~ come after, follow | come after in time, as a result.; "A terrible tsunami followed the earthquake" |
| v. (stative) | 3. fall out, follow | come as a logical consequence; follow logically.; "It follows that your assertion is false"; "the theorem falls out nicely" |
| ~ ensue, result | issue or terminate (in a specified way, state, etc.); end.; "result in tragedy" |
| v. (motion) | 4. follow, travel along | travel along a certain course.; "follow the road"; "follow the trail" |
| ~ go, locomote, move, travel | change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically.; "How fast does your new car go?"; "We travelled from Rome to Naples by bus"; "The policemen went from door to door looking for the suspect"; "The soldiers moved towards the city in an attempt to take it before night fell"; "news travelled fast" |
| ~ heel | follow at the heels of a person. |
| ~ ascend | go along towards (a river's) source.; "The boat ascended the Delaware" |
| v. (social) | 5. abide by, comply, follow | act in accordance with someone's rules, commands, or wishes.; "He complied with my instructions"; "You must comply or else!"; "Follow these simple rules"; "abide by the rules" |
| ~ stick with, stick to, follow | keep to.; "Stick to your principles"; "stick to the diet" |
| ~ oblige, accommodate | provide a service or favor for someone.; "We had to oblige him" |
| ~ adopt, espouse, follow | choose and follow; as of theories, ideas, policies, strategies or plans.; "She followed the feminist movement"; "The candidate espouses Republican ideals" |
| ~ toe the line | do what is expected. |
| ~ obey | be obedient to. |
| ~ conform to | observe.; "conform to the rules" |
| v. (stative) | 6. come after, follow | come after in time, as a result.; "A terrible tsunami followed the earthquake" |
| ~ ensue, result | issue or terminate (in a specified way, state, etc.); end.; "result in tragedy" |
| ~ postdate, follow | be later in time.; "Tuesday always follows Monday" |
| ~ follow | be next.; "Mary plays best, with John and Sue following" |
| v. (change) | 7. conform to, follow | behave in accordance or in agreement with.; "Follow a pattern"; "Follow my example" |
| ~ go by | be or act in accordance with.; "Go by this rule and you'll be safe" |
| ~ imitate, simulate, copy | reproduce someone's behavior or looks.; "The mime imitated the passers-by"; "Children often copy their parents or older siblings" |
| v. (stative) | 8. follow | be next.; "Mary plays best, with John and Sue following" |
| ~ be | occupy a certain position or area; be somewhere.; "Where is my umbrella?"; "The toolshed is in the back"; "What is behind this behavior?" |
| ~ come after, follow | come after in time, as a result.; "A terrible tsunami followed the earthquake" |
| v. (possession) | 9. adopt, espouse, follow | choose and follow; as of theories, ideas, policies, strategies or plans.; "She followed the feminist movement"; "The candidate espouses Republican ideals" |
| ~ choose, pick out, select, take | pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives.; "Take any one of these cards"; "Choose a good husband for your daughter"; "She selected a pair of shoes from among the dozen the salesgirl had shown her" |
| ~ abide by, comply, follow | act in accordance with someone's rules, commands, or wishes.; "He complied with my instructions"; "You must comply or else!"; "Follow these simple rules"; "abide by the rules" |
| ~ adhere, stick | be a devoted follower or supporter.; "The residents of this village adhered to Catholicism"; "She sticks to her principles" |
| v. (stative) | 10. follow | to bring something about at a later time than.; "She followed dinner with a brandy"; "He followed his lecture with a question and answer period" |
| ~ follow | be next.; "Mary plays best, with John and Sue following" |
| v. (creation) | 11. follow, take after | imitate in behavior; take as a model.; "Teenagers follow their friends in everything" |
| ~ imitate, simulate, copy | reproduce someone's behavior or looks.; "The mime imitated the passers-by"; "Children often copy their parents or older siblings" |
| v. (cognition) | 12. follow, trace | follow, discover, or ascertain the course of development of something.; "We must follow closely the economic development is Cuba"; "trace the student's progress" |
| ~ keep abreast, keep up, follow | keep informed.; "He kept up on his country's foreign policies" |
| ~ analyse, analyze, examine, study, canvass, canvas | consider in detail and subject to an analysis in order to discover essential features or meaning.; "analyze a sonnet by Shakespeare"; "analyze the evidence in a criminal trial"; "analyze your real motives" |
| ~ keep an eye on, watch over, watch, observe, follow | follow with the eyes or the mind.; "Keep an eye on the baby, please!"; "The world is watching Sarajevo"; "She followed the men with the binoculars" |
| v. (social) | 13. follow, keep an eye on, observe, watch, watch over | follow with the eyes or the mind.; "Keep an eye on the baby, please!"; "The world is watching Sarajevo"; "She followed the men with the binoculars" |
| ~ check, check into, check out, check over, check up on, suss out, look into, go over | examine so as to determine accuracy, quality, or condition.; "check the brakes"; "Check out the engine" |
| ~ trace, follow | follow, discover, or ascertain the course of development of something.; "We must follow closely the economic development is Cuba"; "trace the student's progress" |
| ~ keep tabs on | keep a record on or watch attentively.; "The government keeps tabs on the dissidents" |
| ~ guard | to keep watch over.; "there would be men guarding the horses" |
| ~ invigilate, proctor | watch over (students taking an exam, to prevent cheating). |
| v. (social) | 14. come after, follow, succeed | be the successor (of).; "Carter followed Ford"; "Will Charles succeed to the throne?" |
| ~ accede, enter | take on duties or office.; "accede to the throne" |
| ~ supercede, supersede, supervene upon, supplant, replace | take the place or move into the position of.; "Smith replaced Miller as CEO after Miller left"; "the computer has supplanted the slide rule"; "Mary replaced Susan as the team's captain and the highest-ranked player in the school" |
| v. (creation) | 15. accompany, follow, play along | perform an accompaniment to.; "The orchestra could barely follow the frequent pitch changes of the soprano" |
| ~ music | musical activity (singing or whistling etc.).; "his music was his central interest" |
| ~ play | play on an instrument.; "The band played all night long" |
| v. (change) | 16. follow, keep abreast, keep up | keep informed.; "He kept up on his country's foreign policies" |
| ~ trace, follow | follow, discover, or ascertain the course of development of something.; "We must follow closely the economic development is Cuba"; "trace the student's progress" |
| v. (stative) | 17. come, follow | to be the product or result.; "Melons come from a vine"; "Understanding comes from experience" |
| ~ arise, originate, spring up, uprise, develop, grow, rise | come into existence; take on form or shape.; "A new religious movement originated in that country"; "a love that sprang up from friendship"; "the idea for the book grew out of a short story"; "An interesting phenomenon uprose" |
| ~ come | exist or occur in a certain point in a series.; "Next came the student from France" |
| v. (social) | 18. follow | accept and follow the leadership or command or guidance of.; "Let's follow our great helmsman!"; "She followed a guru for years" |
| ~ behave, act, do | behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself.; "You should act like an adult"; "Don't behave like a fool"; "What makes her do this way?"; "The dog acts ferocious, but he is really afraid of people" |
| v. (social) | 19. follow | adhere to or practice.; "These people still follow the laws of their ancient religion" |
| ~ practice, use, apply | avail oneself to.; "apply a principle"; "practice a religion"; "use care when going down the stairs"; "use your common sense"; "practice non-violent resistance" |
| v. (social) | 20. be, follow | work in a specific place, with a specific subject, or in a specific function.; "He is a herpetologist"; "She is our resident philosopher" |
| ~ vet | work as a veterinarian.; "She vetted for the farms in the area for many years" |
| ~ cox | act as the coxswain, in a boat race. |
| v. (perception) | 21. follow, surveil, survey | keep under surveillance.; "The police had been following him for weeks but they could not prove his involvement in the bombing" |
| ~ pursue, follow | follow in or as if in pursuit.; "The police car pursued the suspected attacker"; "Her bad deed followed her and haunted her dreams all her life" |
| v. (motion) | 22. follow, pursue | follow in or as if in pursuit.; "The police car pursued the suspected attacker"; "Her bad deed followed her and haunted her dreams all her life" |
| ~ go, locomote, move, travel | change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically.; "How fast does your new car go?"; "We travelled from Rome to Naples by bus"; "The policemen went from door to door looking for the suspect"; "The soldiers moved towards the city in an attempt to take it before night fell"; "news travelled fast" |
| ~ stalk | go through (an area) in search of prey.; "stalk the woods for deer" |
| ~ chase, dog, give chase, go after, tail, chase after, trail, track, tag | go after with the intent to catch.; "The policeman chased the mugger down the alley"; "the dog chased the rabbit" |
| ~ haunt, stalk | follow stealthily or recur constantly and spontaneously to.; "her ex-boyfriend stalked her"; "the ghost of her mother haunted her" |
| ~ surveil, survey, follow | keep under surveillance.; "The police had been following him for weeks but they could not prove his involvement in the bombing" |
| v. (cognition) | 23. follow | grasp the meaning.; "Can you follow her argument?"; "When he lectures, I cannot follow" |
| ~ understand | know and comprehend the nature or meaning of.; "She did not understand her husband"; "I understand what she means" |
| v. (change) | 24. follow, stick to, stick with | keep to.; "Stick to your principles"; "stick to the diet" |
| ~ hang in, persevere, hang on, persist, hold on | be persistent, refuse to stop.; "he persisted to call me every night"; "The child persisted and kept asking questions" |
| ~ abide by, comply, follow | act in accordance with someone's rules, commands, or wishes.; "He complied with my instructions"; "You must comply or else!"; "Follow these simple rules"; "abide by the rules" |
| fulfill | | |
| v. (creation) | 1. accomplish, action, carry out, carry through, execute, fulfil, fulfill | put in effect.; "carry out a task"; "execute the decision of the people"; "He actioned the operation" |
| ~ complete, finish | come or bring to a finish or an end.; "He finished the dishes"; "She completed the requirements for her Master's Degree"; "The fastest runner finished the race in just over 2 hours; others finished in over 4 hours" |
| ~ follow out, follow up, put through, carry out, follow through, implement, go through | pursue to a conclusion or bring to a successful issue.; "Did he go through with the treatment?"; "He implemented a new economic plan"; "She followed up his recommendations with a written proposal" |
| ~ get over | to bring (a necessary but unpleasant task) to an end.; "Let's get this job over with"; "It's a question of getting over an unpleasant task" |
| ~ run | carry out.; "run an errand" |
| ~ consummate | make perfect; bring to perfection. |
| ~ consummate | fulfill sexually.; "consummate a marriage" |
| ~ effect, effectuate, set up | produce.; "The scientists set up a shock wave" |
| ~ do, perform | get (something) done.; "I did my job" |
| ~ discharge, dispatch, complete | complete or carry out.; "discharge one's duties" |
| v. (stative) | 2. fulfil, fulfill, live up to, satisfy | meet the requirements or expectations of. |
| ~ conform to, fit, meet | satisfy a condition or restriction.; "Does this paper meet the requirements for the degree?" |
| ~ suffice, answer, do, serve | be sufficient; be adequate, either in quality or quantity.; "A few words would answer"; "This car suits my purpose well"; "Will $100 do?"; "A 'B' grade doesn't suffice to get me into medical school"; "Nothing else will serve" |
| ~ cover | provide for.; "The grant doesn't cover my salary" |
| v. (consumption) | 3. fill, fulfil, fulfill, meet, satisfy | fill or meet a want or need. |
| ~ cater, ply, provide, supply | give what is desired or needed, especially support, food or sustenance.; "The hostess provided lunch for all the guests" |
| ~ answer | be satisfactory for; meet the requirements of or serve the purpose of.; "This may answer her needs" |
| ~ appease, quell, stay | overcome or allay.; "quell my hunger" |
| ~ feed on, feed upon | be sustained by.; "He fed on the great ideas of her mentor" |
| ~ quench, slake, allay, assuage | satisfy (thirst).; "The cold water quenched his thirst" |
| comply | | |
| conform | | |
| v. (stative) | 1. conform | be similar, be in line with. |
| ~ scan | conform to a metrical pattern. |
| v. (change) | 2. adapt, adjust, conform | adapt or conform oneself to new or different conditions.; "We must adjust to the bad economic situation" |
| ~ change | undergo a change; become different in essence; losing one's or its original nature.; "She changed completely as she grew older"; "The weather changed last night" |
| ~ readjust, readapt | adjust anew.; "After moving back to America, he had to readjust" |
| ~ readapt | adapt anew.; "He readapted himself" |
| ~ assimilate | become similar to one's environment.; "Immigrants often want to assimilate quickly" |
| ~ focalise, focalize, focus | become focussed or come into focus.; "The light focused" |
| ~ acclimate, acclimatise, acclimatize | get used to a certain climate.; "They never acclimatized in Egypt" |
| ~ match | be equal or harmonize.; "The two pieces match" |
| ~ obey | be obedient to. |
| ~ square | cause to match, as of ideas or acts. |
| obey | | |
| v. (social) | 1. obey | be obedient to. |
| ~ adapt, conform, adjust | adapt or conform oneself to new or different conditions.; "We must adjust to the bad economic situation" |
| ~ abide by, comply, follow | act in accordance with someone's rules, commands, or wishes.; "He complied with my instructions"; "You must comply or else!"; "Follow these simple rules"; "abide by the rules" |
| ~ take orders | receive and be expected to follow directions or commands.; "I don't take orders from you!" |
| ~ heed, listen, mind | pay close attention to; give heed to.; "Heed the advice of the old men" |
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