1 B1 neutral
To come as a natural or logical next step after something else.
"The discussion followed on naturally from the previous meeting's unresolved questions."
follow on
B1 neutral intransitive
To come after something in sequence or to arrive later, continuing from where something left off.
In plain English
Come or happen next, right after something else.
What does "follow on" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 neutral
To arrive at a destination after others have already gone ahead.
"You go on to the restaurant and we'll follow on once we've parked the car."
3 C1 neutral
In cricket, to be required to bat again immediately after being significantly behind in the first innings.
"England were made to follow on after being bowled out for only 180 runs."
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To follow in sequence — mostly transparent.
Actually means
Come or happen next, right after something else.
Usage tip
Used in both general sequence ('her illness followed on from the stress of exams') and in the specific cricket sense where a team that is significantly behind in runs is asked to bat again immediately. In everyday English, the general sense is more common and cross-cultural.
Words that pair with "follow on"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
from naturally logically directly question discussion innings
How to conjugate "follow on"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
follow on
I/you/we/they
3rd person
follows on
he/she/it
Past simple
followed on
yesterday
Past participle
followed on
have + pp
-ing form
following on
continuous
Hear "follow on" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "follow on" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.