follow-through

1 of 2

noun

fol·​low-through ˈfä-lō-ˌthrü 

ˌfä-lō-ˈthrü,

-lə-

1

: the part of the stroke following the striking of a ball

2

: the act or an instance of following through

follow through

2 of 2

verb

followed through; following through; follows through

intransitive verb

1

: to continue a stroke or motion to the end of its arc

2

: to press on in an activity or process especially to a conclusion

Synonyms

Verb

• accomplish
• achieve
• bring off
• carry off
• carry out
• commit
• compass
• do
• execute
• fulfill
• fulfil
• make
• negotiate
• perform
• perpetrate
• prosecute
• pull off
• put through

Examples of follow-through in a Sentence

Verb

you said you would put all of the files in order, but you didn't follow through with it

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Later, Santos kept a possession alive by tracking down an offensive board and stuck the follow-through on a 3. —Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2025

And that's before any follow-through on the new Trump administration and Republican lawmakers' pledges to slash government spending, which could further affect data production. —Hansi Lo Wang, NPR, 24 Jan. 2025

Verb

The icing on the cake for a career rock star is following through in the face of adversity. —Bryan Robinson, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025

Hopefully, if Trump follows through on his threats to pursue political enemies and the media there will be a strong backlash. —Richard J. Davis, New York Daily News, 19 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1891, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1891, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

follow through

verb

1

: to complete a stroke or swing

2

: to continue in an activity or process especially to a conclusion

follow through with a study

follow-through

ˈfäl-ō-ˌthrü

ˌfäl-ō-ˈthrü

-ə-

noun