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

See Examples For:

ask for

Andrew Roberts was "full of kindness", his family said, and his dad, also called Andrew, said he was "the best son anyone could ask for".

From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026

France has invoked the European Union's civil protection mechanism to ask for help, President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday, warning that the crisis remained "very intense".

From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026

“Something that I feel like I’ve learned is, it’s OK to ask for support,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

Unfortunately for him, he isn’t Buffett—he’s a fund manager whose clients can ask for their money back whenever they want, and many have.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

After an hour’s aimless wandering she knew that she and the Incorrigibles were lost, but all her attempts to ask for directions went unanswered in the din and rush of the crowd.

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood

Related Words

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