follow-up

[ fol-oh-uhp ]

/ ˈfɒl oʊˌʌp /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR follow-up ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the act of following up.

an action or thing that serves to increase the effectiveness of a previous one, as a second or subsequent letter, phone call, or visit.

Also called follow. Journalism.

a news story providing additional information on a story or article previously published.
Also called sidebar, supplementary story. a minor news story used to supplement a related story of major importance.Compare feature story (def. 1), human-interest story, shirttail.

adjective

designed or serving to follow up, especially to increase the effectiveness of a previous action: a follow-up interview; a follow-up offer.

of or relating to action that follows an initial treatment, course of study, etc.: follow-up care for mental patients; a follow-up survey.

Origin of follow-up

First recorded in 1920–25; noun, adj. use of verb phrase follow up

Words nearby follow-up

follow shot, follow suit, follow the crowd, follow the leader, follow-through, follow-up, folly, Folsom, Folsom man, Folsom point, Fomalhaut

Dictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for follow-up

The follow-up story is how those who survived both the competitive onslaught, as well as the recession, have adapted.
Best Buy Punches Back at Amazon|William O’Connor|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“She fought so Damn hard,” the poster added in a follow-up comment.
Did the Amber Lynn Coplin Murder Photos Sicken the Creeps of 4Chan?|Michael Daly|November 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The core of that, the way to stop Ebola in its tracks is contact tracing, and follow-up.
Doctors Without Borders Hits Ebola Breaking Point|Abby Haglage, Kent Sepkowitz|October 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Since the virus can stay incubated in the human body for up to 21 days, the third step, follow-up, is key.
Doctors Without Borders Hits Ebola Breaking Point|Abby Haglage, Kent Sepkowitz|October 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Based on the strength of her audition, he built his follow-up film, Jackie Brown, around Grier.
The Secrets of ‘Pulp Fiction’: 20 Things You Didn’t Know About the Movie on Its 20th Anniversary|Marlow Stern|October 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The editorial was to be a follow-up in the next day's paper.
The Clarion|Samuel Hopkins Adams
The burden of their shrill cries was the exposure of the gang, with "follow-up" details upon the Courier's story.
The Lash|Olin L. Lyman
Each one while indicating that the story was a follow-up retold the principal incidents in the fire.
Newspaper Reporting and Correspondence|Grant Milnor Hyde
From the above clippings it will be seen that the lead of the follow-up story is very much like that of any news story.
Newspaper Reporting and Correspondence|Grant Milnor Hyde
He listened carefully, reviewed their work, edited it, and made notes for follow-up comment.
The Space Pioneers|Carey Rockwell

British Dictionary definitions for follow-up

follow up

verb (tr, adverb)

to pursue or investigate (a person, evidence, etc) closely

to continue (action) after a beginning, esp to increase its effect

noun follow-up

something done to reinforce an initial action
(as modifier)a follow-up letter

med a routine examination of a patient at various intervals after medical or surgical treatment

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with follow-up