follow suit

To do the same thing as others, especially by following their example. The phrase comes from card games, where there are four "suits" (diamonds, hearts, spades, and clubs). The people in front of us began to file out of the auditorium, and we followed suit. After that studio made that hit musical, plenty of others tried to follow suit. If a student acts out, you have to reprimand them so that others don't follow suit.

to follow in the same pattern; to follow someone else's example. (From card games.) Mary went to work for a bank, and Jane followed suit. Now they are both head cashiers. The Smiths went out to dinner, but the Browns didn't follow suit. They stayed home.

Imitate or do as someone else has done, as in Bill decided to leave for the rest of the day, and Mary followed suit. This term comes from card games in which one must play a card from the same suit as the one led. [Mid-1800s]

COMMON If someone follows suit, they do the same thing that someone else has just done. Note: The following expressions refer to the four suits in a pack of cards: diamonds, hearts, clubs, and spades. The company provides childcare for the children of staff members. If only other employers would follow suit. If Tim had a stack of pancakes for breakfast, Emily would follow suit. Note: If you follow suit in a card game, you play a card of the same suit as the previous player.

To imitate someone; to follow someone’s example. The expression comes from card games such as whist or bridge, in which one must play a card of the same suit as that which was led. The practice was literally spelled out in Cotton’s Complete Gamester (1680), but had obviously been transferred by the time Herman Melville used the expression (Moby-Dick, 1851): “I quickly followed suit and descending into the bar-room accosted the grinning landlord.”