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Synonyms

answer to

Idioms  

  1. Explain or justify something to someone, as in If Mary doesn't help us finish this project, she'll have to answer to the boss. This expression was at first used mainly for replying to legal charges. [c. a.d. 950]

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 short answer to the question you did not actually ask: Will it affect his Supplemental Security Income?

From MarketWatch • Apr. 18, 2026

The answer to that is rooted in how the championships have developed.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

When you talk about removal, what’s the answer to that question?

From Slate • Apr. 15, 2026

So here’s the real answer to “Why now?” from a victim’s statement that one of Heap’s survivors read in court.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026

“I am the Msaidizi,” she says, “and I answer to you.”

From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas

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.