ensue

verb

Definition of ensuenext
as in to follow
to come at a later time; to happen as a result When the news broke, a long period of chaos ensued.

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word ensue different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of ensue are follow, succeed, and supervene. While all these words mean "to come after something or someone," ensue commonly suggests a logical consequence or naturally expected development.

after the talk a general discussion ensued

When can follow be used instead of ensue?

In some situations, the words follow and ensue are roughly equivalent. However, follow may apply to a coming after in time, position, or logical sequence.

speeches followed the dinner

When might succeed be a better fit than ensue?

The meanings of succeed and ensue largely overlap; however, succeed implies a coming after immediately in a sequence determined by natural order, inheritance, election, or laws of rank.

she succeeded her father as head of the business

When would supervene be a good substitute for ensue?

Although the words supervene and ensue have much in common, supervene suggests the following or beginning of something unforeseen or unpredictable.

unable to continue because of supervening circumstances

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ensue The pair’s annual gala turned into a major plot point after ex cast member Cristy Rice crashed the charity event with two people, and a feud between her and Lea ensued for many, many episodes. —Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 23 July 2025 Price wars have ensued: OpenAI slashed o3 model prices by 80% after Gemini’s Pro model leapfrogged it in user rankings, illustrating how differentiation in core models is getting harder to preserve. —Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 22 July 2025 During the ensuing clash, the suspect pulled a gun and opened fire, striking the victim in the stomach. —Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 19 July 2025 When the tenant arrived at the property, an argument ensued. —Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 19 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for ensue
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ensue
  1. follow
  2. supersede
  3. replace
  4. supplant
  5. displace
Verb
  • Deanna Raybourn’s sequel, which reads fine as a standalone, follows a senior quartet of female assassins who are called back into action to track down a mole within the elite assassin organization, the Museum.
    — Maureen Lee Lenker Published, EW.com, 15 July 2025
  • Amtrak warned riders to expect delays on the Northeast Corridor line Tuesday morning, following torrential downpours and flooding in the New York region overnight.
    — Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 15 July 2025
Definition of follow
Verb
  • The superseding indictment against Michael Gilbert includes counts of mail fraud and money laundering, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday.
    — Cameron Macdonald, Mercury News, 25 July 2025
  • The teenage girl also was not mentioned in a superseding federal grand jury indictment, which only referenced a 9-year-old victim.
    — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 22 July 2025
Definition of supersede
Verb
  • The roof began going green in 2010, when the Detroit-Wayne Joint Building Authority and property management company Hines started replacing crumbling portions with sedum in the name of sustainability.
    — Violet Ikonomova, Freep.com, 21 July 2025
  • Deleting passwords and replacing them with passkeys is the right answer.
    — Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 20 July 2025
Definition of replace
Verb
  • The euro cannot quickly supplant the dollar as the anchor of the world’s financial system as countries using it still have far to go in their financial and economic integration, European Central Bank Governing Council member Gabriel Makhlouf said.
    — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 5 July 2025
  • An unusual number of the supporting players are beloved for one famous role — not just big parts, but eternal parts — that have so immortalized them in the public’s consciousness that their fictional identities have supplanted their real ones.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025
Definition of supplant
Verb
  • If this federal borrowing displaces investment in low-yielding vehicles like money market funds or purchases of other governments’ low-yielding bonds, and instead redirects capital into stock market index funds (which generally yield higher average returns), society might be better off.
    — James Broughel, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
  • Many felt abused by the creation of Everglades National Park in 1947, which had displaced a fishing village in Flamingo, at the southern tip of the park, and had caused resentment among the Miccosukee, some of whom lived south of Tamiami Trail, in what would become the park.
    — Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 13 July 2025
Definition of displace

Browse Nearby Words

ensphering
ensue
ensued
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Cite this Entry

“Ensue.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ensue. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

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Nglish: Translation of ensue for Spanish Speakers

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