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.
The “forward-deployed engineer” model, popularized by Palantir, has become the go-to answer for turning AI investments into real business results, with OpenAI, Anthropic, Microsoft and AWS all rolling out similar programs recently.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
These sorts of questions are a lot easier to answer for a child, he says, instead of asking what they did.
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026
On Thursday, that officer was released from jail, and it’s likely he may never have to answer for his charges in court.
From Slate ● Aug. 28, 2026
Sonders: There is no cookie-cutter answer for all investors, and that frustration I have with cookie-cutter answers is worth explaining.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026
“Another good reason to call the police first thing. If he’s stolen what you set aside for yourself, Crow, he’ll need to answer for it.”
From "Beyond the Bright Sea" by Lauren Wolk
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.
