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Meaning & use

follow the lead

phrase·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˌfɒləʊ ðə ˈliːd/
US/ˌfɑːloʊ ðə ˈliːd/

Meanings

  1. phraseidiom

    to do what someone else does or suggests, especially because you trust them or they have authority.

    Grammar: Often used with 'of': follow the lead of your manager. Can also stand alone: Just follow the lead.

    Patterns

    • follow the lead of someone
    • follow someone's lead
    • follow the lead on something

    Several small companies followed the lead of the market leader and cut their prices.

    If you are not sure what to do, follow the lead of the more experienced staff.

    The other students followed her lead and handed in their projects early.

  2. phraseidiom

    to act in the way that someone has shown or suggested, often in a game or performance.

    Grammar: Used when one person starts an action and others copy it.

    Patterns

    • follow the lead of the singer
    • follow the lead in a dance

    In the dance, the men follow the lead of the women.

    The audience followed the lead of the conductor and clapped in time.

Common combinations

follow the lead of
Many countries followed the lead of the United States in banning the chemical.
follow someone's lead
I decided to follow my sister's lead and study medicine.
follow the lead on
The smaller parties followed the lead on climate policy.
refuse to follow the lead
He refused to follow the lead of his colleagues and spoke out against the plan.

Synonyms and how they differ

take after
Not a synonym: 'take after' means to resemble a family member, not to copy someone's actions.
imitate
Imitate means to copy someone, often in a deliberate or unoriginal way; 'follow the lead' suggests going along with someone's example or decision.
take your cue from
This means to use someone's behavior as a signal for what you should do, which is close but often more about timing than general example.

Opposites

leadtake the lead

Commonly confused: follow the lead or follow the leader? follow the lead or lead?

follow the lead vs follow the leader

'Follow the leader' is a children's game where everyone copies the person at the front. 'Follow the lead' is a general phrase meaning to copy or obey someone's example.

follow the lead vs lead

As a verb, 'lead' means to go first or to be in charge; 'follow the lead' means to go after someone and copy them.

Practice

Complete the sentence: 'The other firms decided to follow the ______ of the industry giant.'

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