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.
England's sloppiness was compounded by the fact Spain produced one of their best performances to date and Wiegman could not come up with an answer for it.
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
And you need to be able to have an answer for each of those things, and it’s really hard to do that.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 24, 2026
Conners said hybrid long-term-care policies may be an answer for some clients who are now in their 40s, 50s and 60s to help protect against future care costs.
From MarketWatch • May 19, 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
“I’m sure Epsilon-5 will have an answer for you.”
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
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.
