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follow up

to pursue further after an initial action

In Phrasal Verbs

In more detail

1. (expression) to do or say something more about a previous matter

2. (expression) a second action or communication that comes after an earlier one

Examples

• 1. I will follow up with the client next week to see if they have any questions.
• 2. After the initial meeting, we sent a follow-up email to confirm the details.

How to use follow up

Follow up is commonly used in business, customer service, and professional communication to indicate a second action taken after an initial contact or task. It emphasizes checking on progress, obtaining more information, or maintaining continuity. The hyphenated form 'follow-up' functions as a noun or adjective (a follow-up meeting), while 'follow up' as a verb phrase takes various prepositions depending on context (follow up on a complaint; follow up with a client).

Common phrases

• follow up on
• follow up with
• follow-up call
• follow-up email
• follow-up meeting
• follow up later

Synonyms

pursue · investigate further · take action on · check on · revisit

Word family

follow-up (noun/adjective) · following up (gerund) · followed up (past tense)

A common mistake

Learners often confuse 'follow up on' (to take action regarding something already discussed) with 'follow up with' (to contact someone to continue a conversation), or forget the hyphen when using it as a noun or adjective.

Nearby in Phrasal Verbs

figure out, fill in, find out, get across, get by, get over

Keep going

How to remember the words you read · Spaced repetition, explained