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verb (intr, preposition)
to be liable or responsible for (a person's actions, behaviour, etc)
to vouch for or speak on behalf of (a person)
to suffer or atone for (one's wrongdoing)
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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

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Other Idioms and Phrases with answer for

answer for

1

Take responsibility for, take charge of, as in The new alarm system has to answer for the security of the grounds. [Late 1200s]

2

Take the blame for, as in The kids who were caught shoplifting have a lot to answer for. [c. 1200]

3

To vouch for or sponsor someone, as in I'll answer for John as a reliable employee. [Early 1700s]

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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