answer for
Britishverb
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to be liable or responsible for (a person's actions, behaviour, etc)
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to vouch for or speak on behalf of (a person)
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to suffer or atone for (one's wrongdoing)
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Take responsibility for, take charge of, as in The new alarm system has to answer for the security of the grounds . [Late 1200s]
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Take the blame for, as in The kids who were caught shoplifting have a lot to answer for . [c. 1200]
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To vouch for or sponsor someone, as in I'll answer for John as a reliable employee . [Early 1700s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Frankly, I don’t have a good answer for that.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026
Paul Celan performed one of the 20th century’s strangest acts of literary fidelity: He remained true to German by forcing it to answer for what had been done in its name.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
The answer for you is to spend that money when you need it most and when it would benefit your overall financial situation to have tax-free money.
From MarketWatch • May 21, 2026
But for me, it’s a way to get them in the room and answer for what they’re doing.
From Slate • May 19, 2026
Then he scratched it out because he knew he would—of course he would—plus there was no Internet answer for this anyway.
From "As Brave As You" by Jason Reynolds
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
