Follow-up vs. Follow Up vs. Followup
“Follow up” is the phrasal verb for taking further action or investigating, while “follow-up” is the noun or adjective for a later connected action, question, visit, or similar item. Closed “followup” is not the form used in the reviewed Cambridge entry.
Use “follow up” as a verb (“I’ll follow up tomorrow”). Use “follow-up” as a noun or adjective (“a follow-up call”). The reviewed Cambridge entry does not use closed “followup” as the standard general form.
Key details
Choose the right form
| If you mean / need | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| an action you perform | follow up | It is the phrasal verb. |
| a later action/visit/question as a thing or modifier | follow-up | It is the noun/adjective form in Cambridge. |
| ordinary edited-English closed form | followup | Not the standard form in the reviewed Cambridge entry. |
Further guidance
Closed Form Boundary
For general edited English, the reviewed dictionary evidence supports “follow-up” rather than “followup” for noun/adjective use. Closed “followup” may appear in product names, identifiers, or house styles, but this guide does not treat those as a universal spelling rule.
Core difference
Use “follow up” as the verb. Use hyphenated “follow-up” as the noun or adjective in the reviewed Cambridge entry.
Fast Test
If you can add an object—“follow up the lead” or “follow up on the request”—use the two-word verb. If you mean a later action or meeting, use “follow-up.”
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- Follow something up — English meaning (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · Dictionary record distinguishing follow up as a phrasal verb from follow-up as noun/adjective