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.
Ms. O’Connell doesn’t claim to have an answer for the problem of who should take care of the family—unless that answer is both men and women.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
O'Neill said she has spoken to her Stormont executive counterpart Little-Pengelly but added it was "for her to answer for what she knew".
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
The answer, for that sample, was: mostly Desmodesmus, a green algae that gobbles up phosphorus and nitrogen.
From Slate ● Jun. 27, 2026
“There is no universal long-term-care financing. This is a space that is super costly — and there’s no answer for the families, the spouses, sons and daughters who are providing care,” Zissimopoulos said.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 24, 2026
“Nothing,” said Jake, because that was his go-to answer for all sorts of Mom questions.
From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein
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.
