Follow vs. Track — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on November 1, 2023
Follow means to come after or go behind, often implying pursuit or adherence; Track means to observe or monitor the movement or progress of something, often using specific tools or methods.
Difference Between Follow and Track
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
"Follow" and "Track" are verbs that revolve around the concept of pursuit or observation. To follow typically suggests going behind or coming after someone or something, either physically or in sequence. For instance, one might follow a leader. Conversely, to track means to observe or monitor the progress, movement, or behavior of something, usually over a period of time.
When considering the word "Follow," one might imagine a procession, where a person or thing comes after another. For example, in a parade, one float follows another. In contrast, the word "Track" invokes the idea of surveillance or monitoring. Think of a detective tracking the movements of a suspect using clues and evidence.
"Follow" can also be more abstract, referring to the act of understanding or adhering to a certain set of principles or guidelines. For instance, if one follows the rules, it means they adhere to them. "Track," on the other hand, can be data-driven. An athlete might track their performance metrics over time to see improvements or declines.
In social media contexts, to "Follow" means to subscribe or sign up for updates from someone's profile, whereas to "Track" often implies monitoring trends, hashtags, or analytics to gauge the effectiveness of content or campaigns.
"Follow" has an element of sequence and order to it. In a story, one event follows another. "Track," in a similar narrative context, might refer to following a character's development or arc throughout the story, observing their growth or changes.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Come after or go behind.
Observe or monitor movement or progress.
Scope
Physical, sequential, or abstract adherence.
Surveillance, monitoring, data-driven observation.
Implication
Implies pursuit or adherence.
Implies observation using specific tools or methods.
Usage in Grammar
Often used as a verb.
Used as both a verb and a noun (e.g., a track record).
Common Context
Processions, adhering to rules, social media.
Surveillance, analytics, performance metrics.
Compare with Definitions
Follow
Go or come after.
The ducklings follow their mother.
Track
A mark or succession of marks left by something that has passed.
Follow
Abide by or act according to.
Always follow the instructions carefully.
Track
A path, route, or course indicated by such marks
An old wagon track through the mountains.
Follow
Go or come after (a person or thing proceeding ahead); move or travel behind
The men followed in another car
She went back into the house, and Ben followed her
Track
A path along which something moves; a course
Following the track of an airplane on radar.
Follow
Come after in time or order
The rates are as follows
The six years that followed his restoration
Track
A course of action; a method of proceeding
On the right track for solving the puzzle.
Follow
Act according to (an instruction or precept)
He has difficulty in following written instructions
Track
An intended or proper course
Putting a stalled project back on track.
Follow
Pay close attention to
I've been following this discussion closely
Track
A succession of ideas; a train of thought.
Follow
Practise (a trade or profession).
Track
Awareness of something occurring or passing
Keeping track of the score.
Lost all track of time.
Follow
To come or go after; proceed behind
Follow the usher to your seat.
Track
A course laid out for running or racing.
Follow
To go after in pursuit
Would follow his enemy to the ends of the earth.
Track
Athletic competition on such a course; track events.
Follow
To keep under surveillance
The agent followed the suspect around town.
Track
Track and field.
Follow
To move along the course of; take
We followed the path.
Track
A rail or set of parallel rails upon which railroad cars or other vehicles run.
Follow
To move in the direction of; be guided by
Followed the sun westward.
Followed the signs to the zoo.
Track
Tracks The boundary, formerly often delineated by train tracks, that separates two neighborhoods of different social class
Grew up on the wrong side of the tracks.
Follow
To lie in the same path as
The road follows the old trading route.
Track
Either of the continuous metal belts with which vehicles such as bulldozers and tanks move over the ground.
Follow
To be parallel to
The road follows the river.
Track
A metal groove or ridge that holds, guides, and reduces friction for a moving device or apparatus.
Follow
To accept the guidance, command, or leadership of
Follow a spiritual master.
Rebels who refused to follow their leader.
Track
Any of several courses of study to which students are assigned according to ability, achievement, or needs
Academic, vocational, and general tracks.
Follow
To adhere to; practice
Followed family traditions.
Track
A distinct path, as along a length of film or magnetic tape, on which sound, images, or other information is recorded.
Follow
To take as a model or precedent; imitate
Followed my example and resigned.
Track
A distinct selection from an audio or video recording, usually containing an individual work or part of a larger work
The title track of an album.
Follow
To act in agreement or compliance with; obey
Follow the rules.
Follow one's instincts.
Track
One of two or more separate recordings that are combined so as to be replayed simultaneously, as in stereophonic sound reproduction
Mixed the vocal track and instrumental track.
Follow
To keep to or stick to
Followed the recipe.
Follow a diet.
Track
One of the concentric magnetic rings that form the separate data storage areas on a floppy disk or a hard disk.
Follow
To engage in (a trade or occupation); work at.
Track
A set of digital data encoded consecutively on an optical disc.
Follow
To come after in order, time, or position
Night follows day.
Track
Tracks(Slang) Needle marks on the skin from multiple intravenous injections, considered an indication of habitual drug use.
Follow
To bring something about at a later time than or as a consequence of
She followed her lecture with a question-and-answer period. The band followed its hit album with a tour.
Track
To follow the tracks of; trail
Tracking game through the forest.
Follow
To occur or be evident as a consequence of
Your conclusion does not follow your premise.
Track
To leave marks made of (dirt or mud, for example) on a surface
The dog tracked mud on the rug.
Follow
To watch or observe closely
Followed the bird through binoculars.
Track
To leave marks on (a floor, for example) when moving or traversing
You're tracking up my nice clean floor!.
Follow
To be attentive to; pay close heed to
Too sleepy to follow the sermon.
Track
To observe or monitor the course of (an aircraft, for example), as by radar.
Follow
To keep oneself informed of the course, progress, or fortunes of
Follow the stock market.
Followed the local teams.
Track
To observe the progress of; follow
Tracking the company's performance daily.
Follow
To grasp the meaning or logic of; understand
Do you follow my argument?.
Track
To determine or discover the location or origin of
Tracked the money to an offshore account.
Follow
To come, move, or take place after another person or thing in order or time.
Track
To equip with a track.
Follow
To occur or be evident as a consequence; result
If you ignore your diet, trouble will follow.
Track
To assign (a student) to a curricular track.
Follow
To grasp the meaning or reasoning of something; understand.
Track
To follow a course; travel
The storm is tracking up the coast.
Follow
(Games) A billiards shot in which the cue ball is struck above center so that it follows the path of the object ball after impact.
Track
To keep a constant distance apart. Used of a pair of wheels.
Follow
(ambitransitive) To go after; to pursue; to move behind in the same path or direction, especially with the intent of catching.
Follow that car!
She left the room and I followed.
Track
To be in alignment
The gears are not tracking properly.
Follow
(ambitransitive) To go or come after in a sequence.
B follows A in the alphabet.
We both ordered the soup, with roast beef to follow.
Track
To follow the undulations in the groove of a phonograph record. Used of a needle.
Follow
(transitive) To carry out (orders, instructions, etc.).
Follow these instructions to the letter.
Track
To move across magnetic heads. Used of magnetic tape.
Follow
(transitive) To live one's life according to (religion, teachings, etc).
Track
To move in relation to a subject being filmed. Used of a camera or camera crew.
Follow
(transitive) To understand, to pay attention to.
Do you follow me?
Track
A mark left by something that has passed along.
Follow the track of the ship.
Can you see any tracks in the snow?
Follow
(transitive) To watch, to keep track of (reports of) some event or person.
I followed the incumbent throughout the election.
My friends don't regularly follow the news.
Track
A mark or impression left by the foot, either of man or animal.
The fox tracks were still visible in the snow.
Follow
To subscribe to see content from an account on a social media platform.
If you want to see more of our articles, follow us on Twitter.
Track
The entire lower surface of the foot; said of birds, etc.
Follow
(ambitransitive) To be a logical consequence of something.
It follows that if two numbers are not equal then one is larger than the other.
If you don't practise proper hygiene, illness is sure to follow.
Track
A road or other similar beaten path.
Follow the track for a hundred metres.
Follow
(transitive) To walk in, as a road or course; to attend upon closely, as a profession or calling.
Track
Physical course; way.
Astronomers predicted the track of the comet.
Follow
In billiards and similar games, a stroke causing a ball to follow another ball after hitting it.
A follow shot
Track
A path or course laid out for a race, for exercise, etc.
The athletes ran round the track.
Follow
(social media) The act of following another user's online activity.
Track
The direction and progress of someone or something; path.
Follow
To go or come after; to move behind in the same path or direction; hence, to go with (a leader, guide, etc.); to accompany; to attend.
It waves me forth again; I'll follow it.
Track
(railways) The way or rails along which a train moves. Category:en:Rail transportation
They briefly closed the railway to remove debris found on the track.
Follow
To endeavor to overtake; to go in pursuit of; to chase; to pursue; to prosecute.
I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them.
Track
A tract or area, such as of land.
Follow
To accept as authority; to adopt the opinions of; to obey; to yield to; to take as a rule of action; as, to follow good advice.
Approve the best, and follow what I approve
Follow peace with all men.
It is most agreeable to some men to follow their reason; and to others to follow their appetites.
Track
(slang) The street, as a prostitute's place of work.
Follow
To copy after; to take as an example.
We had rather follow the perfections of them whom we like not, than in defects resemble them whom we love.
Track
Awareness of something, especially when arising from close monitoring.
Follow
To succeed in order of time, rank, or office.
Track
(automotive) The distance between two opposite wheels on a same axletree.
Follow
To result from, as an effect from a cause, or an inference from a premise.
Track
(automotive) caterpillar track
Follow
To watch, as a receding object; to keep the eyes fixed upon while in motion; to keep the mind upon while in progress, as a speech, musical performance, etc.; also, to keep up with; to understand the meaning, connection, or force of, as of a course of thought or argument.
He followed with his eyes the flitting shade.
Track
(cricket) The pitch.
Follow
To walk in, as a road or course; to attend upon closely, as a profession or calling.
O, had I but followed the arts!
O Antony! I have followed thee to this.
Track
Sound stored on a record.
Follow
To go or come after; - used in the various senses of the transitive verb: To pursue; to attend; to accompany; to be a result; to imitate.
Track
The physical track on a record.
Follow
The art or process of following; specif., in some games, as billiards, a stroke causing a ball to follow another ball after hitting it. Also used adjectively; as, follow shot.
Track
(music) A song or other relatively short piece of music, on a record, separated from others by a short silence.
My favourite track on the album is "Sunshine".
Follow
To travel behind, go after, come after;
The ducklings followed their mother around the pond
Please follow the guide through the museum
Track
A circular (never-ending) data storage unit on a side of magnetic or optical disk, divided into sectors.
Follow
Be later in time;
Tuesday always follows Monday
Track
The racing events of track and field; track and field in general.
I'm going to try out for track next week.
Follow
Come as a logical consequence; follow logically;
It follows that your assertion is false
The theorem falls out nicely
Track
A themed set of talks within a conference.
Follow
Travel along a certain course;
Follow the road
Follow the trail
Track
Clipping of trackshoe
Follow
Act in accordance with someone's rules, commands, or wishes;
He complied with my instructions
You must comply or else!
Follow these simple rules
Abide by the rules
Track
To continue over time.
Follow
Come after in time, as a result;
A terrible tsunami followed the earthquake
Track
(transitive) To observe the (measured) state of a person or object over time.
We will track the raven population over the next six months.
Follow
Behave in accordance or in agreement with;
Follow a pattern
Follow my example
Track
(transitive) To monitor the movement of a person or object.
Agent Miles has been tracking the terrorist since Madrid.
Follow
Be next;
Mary plays best, with John and Sue following
Track
(transitive) To match the movement or change of a person or object.
My height tracks my father's at my age, so I might end up as tall as him.
Follow
Choose and follow; as of theories, ideas, policies, strategies or plans;
She followed the feminist movement
The candidate espouses Republican ideals
Track
To travel so that a moving object remains in shot.
The camera tracked the ball even as the field of play moved back and forth, keeping the action in shot the entire time.
Follow
To bring something about at a later time than;
She followed dinner with a brandy
He followed his lecture with a question and answer period
Track
To move.
The hurricane tracked further west than expected.
Follow
Imitate in behavior; take as a model;
Teenagers follow their friends in everything
Track
(transitive) To traverse; to move across.
Follow
Follow, discover, or ascertain the course of development of something;
We must follow closely the economic development is Cuba
Trace the student's progress
Track
(transitive) To tow.
Follow
Follow with the eyes or the mind;
Keep an eye on the baby, please!
The world is watching Sarajevo
She followed the men with the binoculars
Track
(intransitive) To exhibit good cognitive function.
Is the patient tracking? Does he know where he is?
Follow
Be the successor (of);
Carter followed Ford
Will Charles succeed to the throne?
Track
(transitive) To follow the tracks of.
My uncle spent all day tracking the deer, whose hoofprints were clear in the mud.
Follow
Perform an accompaniment to;
The orchestra could barely follow the frequent pitch changes of the soprano
Track
(transitive) To discover the location of a person or object by following traces.
I tracked Joe to his friend's bedroom, where he had spent the night.
Follow
Keep informed;
He kept up on his country's foreign policies
Track
(transitive) To make tracks on or to leave in the form of tracks.
In winter, my cat tracks mud all over the house.
Follow
To be the product or result;
Melons come from a vine
Understanding comes from experience
Track
To create a musical recording (a track).
Lil Kyle is gonna track with that DJ next week.
Follow
Accept and follow the leadership or command or guidance of;
Let's follow our great helmsman!
She followed a guru for years
Track
To create music using tracker software.
Follow
Adhere to or practice;
These people still follow the laws of their ancient religion
Track
To make sense; to be consistent with known information
Follow
Work in a specific place, with a specific subject, or in a specific function;
He is a herpetologist
She is our resident philosopher
Track
A mark left by something that has passed along; as, the track, or wake, of a ship; the track of a meteor; the track of a sled or a wheel.
The bright track of his fiery car.
Follow
Keep under surveillance;
The police had been following him for weeks but they could not prove his involvement in the bombing
Track
A mark or impression left by the foot, either of man or beast; trace; vestige; footprint.
Far from track of men.
Follow
Follow in or as if in pursuit;
The police car pursued the suspected attacker
Her bad deed followed her and haunted her dreams all her life
Track
The entire lower surface of the foot; - said of birds, etc.
Follow
Grasp the meaning;
Can you follow her argument?
When he lectures, I cannot follow
Track
A road; a beaten path.
Behold Torquatus the same track pursue.
Follow
Keep to;
Stick to your principles
Stick to the diet
Track
Course; way; as, the track of a comet.
Follow
Understand or grasp sequentially.
Did you follow the plot of the movie?
Track
A path or course laid out for a race, for exercise, etc.
Follow
Be the result or consequence of.
Problems often follow mistakes.
Track
The permanent way; the rails.
Follow
Watch or pay attention to.
I follow that TV show religiously.
Track
A tract or area, as of land.
Track
To follow the tracks or traces of; to pursue by following the marks of the feet; to trace; to trail; as, to track a deer in the snow.
It was often found impossible to track the robbers to their retreats among the hills and morasses.
Track
To draw along continuously, as a vessel, by a line, men or animals on shore being the motive power; to tow.
Track
A line or route along which something travels or moves;
The hurricane demolished houses in its path
The track of an animal
The course of the river
Track
Evidence pointing to a possible solution;
The police are following a promising lead
The trail led straight to the perpetrator
Track
A pair of parallel rails providing a runway for wheels
Track
A course over which races are run
Track
A distinct selection of music from a recording or a compact disc;
He played the first cut on the cd
The title track of the album
Track
An endless metal belt on which tracked vehicles move over the ground
Track
(computer science) one of the circular magnetic paths on a magnetic disk that serve as a guide for writing and reading data
Track
A groove on a phonograph recording
Track
A bar or bars of rolled steel making a track along which vehicles can roll
Track
Any road or path affording passage especially a rough one
Track
The act of participating in an athletic competition involving running on a track
Track
Carry on the feet and deposit;
Track mud into the house
Track
Observe or plot the moving path of something;
Track a missile
Track
Go after with the intent to catch;
The policeman chased the mugger down the alley
The dog chased the rabbit
Track
Travel across or pass over;
The caravan covered almost 100 miles each day
Track
Make tracks upon
Track
Observe or monitor the progress of.
We need to track the storm's movement.
Track
Pursue or chase.
The hunter decided to track the lion.
Track
Leave marks or impressions on a surface.
The muddy shoes tracked dirt on the carpet.
Track
Record or study the behavior or development of.
The app tracks your sleep patterns.
Track
Follow the course or trail of.
He could track the origin of the email.
Common Curiosities
What does "Follow" primarily imply?
"Follow" primarily implies coming after or going behind someone or something.
How does "Follow" relate to social media?
In social media, "Follow" means to subscribe to someone's updates or posts.
Can "Follow" imply a physical presence?
Yes, like when someone follows another person to a destination.
What is an abstract form of "Follow"?
Abiding by rules or guidelines is an abstract way to "Follow."
Can "Follow" be used in the context of understanding?
Yes, one can "Follow" a conversation or storyline, meaning they understand it.
Does "Track" have a noun form?
Yes, "Track" can be a noun, like a racetrack or a song track.
How is "Track" different from "Follow"?
"Track" refers to observing or monitoring progress or movement, often using tools.
Is "Track" always about movement?
No, "Track" can also mean observing trends, metrics, or behaviors over time.
Does "Follow" always imply proximity?
No, "Follow" can be more about sequence or order rather than physical closeness.
How might a business "Track" performance?
A business might track performance using analytics, metrics, or KPIs.
Can "Track" imply a pursuit?
Yes, like when detectives track a suspect.
Can you "Track" data?
Yes, one can track data to observe trends, changes, or specific outcomes.
What's a common tool used to "Track"?
GPS devices are common tools used to track location and movement.
How does a story "Follow" a character?
A story follows a character by detailing their experiences and growth.
Is "Follow" passive and "Track" active in nature?
Not necessarily. Both can be active, like following a lead or tracking a target.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
