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Meaning & use

follow-up

noun, adjective·Everyday

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UK/ˈfɒləʊ ʌp/
US/ˈfɑːloʊ ʌp/

Meanings

  1. nouncountable

    Something done afterward to continue, check or add to an earlier action, such as a call, visit or message.

    Grammar: Takes an article: a follow-up. The verb is two words: follow up.

    Patterns

    • a follow-up to something
    • a follow-up on something

    I sent a follow-up after the interview to thank them.

    The doctor scheduled a follow-up to check the wound.

    As a follow-up, the team will survey customers next month.

  2. nouncountable

    A book, film or story that continues or builds on a previous successful one.

    Grammar: Often followed by to: a follow-up to a hit.

    Patterns

    • a follow-up to something

    The author's follow-up to her bestseller sold even faster.

    Critics said the follow-up was not as funny as the original film.

    The band is working on a follow-up to last year's album.

  3. adjectivebefore a noun

    Coming after something earlier in order to continue, check or reinforce it.

    Grammar: Used before a noun: a follow-up question.

    Patterns

    • a follow-up question
    • a follow-up visit

    The reporter asked a follow-up question about the budget.

    She booked a follow-up appointment for next week.

    Follow-up emails were sent to all attendees.

Word forms

pluralfollow-ups

Common combinations

follow-up question
Does anyone have a follow-up question before we move on?
follow-up appointment
You will need a follow-up appointment in six weeks.
follow-up email
I will send a follow-up email with the notes.
send a follow-up
It is polite to send a follow-up after a meeting.
follow-up study
A follow-up study confirmed the earlier findings.

Synonyms and how they differ

sequel
A sequel is a story or film that continues an earlier one, while follow-up also covers calls, checks and reminders.
reminder
A reminder only prompts someone to remember, while a follow-up may also check results or add new information.
continuation
Continuation means the carrying on of something, and follow-up suggests a separate action taken afterward.

Opposites

precursororiginal

Word family

follow up verb
the two-word verb meaning to take further action on something
follow verb
to come after
follower noun
a person who supports or comes after another

Commonly confused: follow-up or follow up?

follow-up vs follow up

Follow up as two words is the verb: I will follow up on the email. Follow-up with a hyphen is the noun or adjective.

Practice

I did not hear back, so I sent a ____ email on Friday.

Make it your own

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