ask for

British  

verb

1. to try to obtain by requesting

   he asked for help

2. informal (intr) to behave in a provocative manner that is regarded as inviting (trouble)

   she's asking for trouble

   you're asking for it

3. to ask after

   tell your parents I'm asking for them

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ask for Idioms  

1. Also, ask for it. To persist in an action despite the likelihood that it will bring trouble on oneself, as in Speeding as much as he does, he has been asking for a ticket and Mary deserved that low grade; in effect, she asked for it by not studying. [c. 1900] Also see ask for the moon.

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Example Sentences

He said the run "lifted me just enough" so that when he came back he called a friend to ask for help.

From BBC • May 13, 2026

The attorneys general ask for close review of documents submitted ahead of the public listing, including the S-1, an initial registration document companies file when they go public detailing their finances and conflicts of interest.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026

Well, one could ask for James to turn back time, but he’s already done that this spring.

From Los Angeles Times • May 10, 2026

Before hiring a daily money manager, ask for — and check — references, ask for proof of insurance and a background check.

From MarketWatch • May 8, 2026

I don’t ask for water, either, because I know it’ll make me have to pee even worse.

From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy

Related Words

• assert
• call for
• claim
• confront
• defy
• demand
• denounce
• impose
• require
• test
• try