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Synonyms

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
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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.

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.

“Now’s the time to find deals. Use the war for leverage,” Hoult said, urging buyers to ask for concessions from sellers tired of waiting for more buyers to emerge.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026

They’ll ask for more in-home diagnosis and treatment, telemedicine, wearable devices, support for caregivers and breakthroughs to prevent dementia and cognitive decline.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

Raman noted that for some entry-level LinkedIn roles, the company doesn’t even ask for résumés.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 11, 2026

"Frankly, in the Gulf countries you can simply ask for money," political analyst Taras Zagorodniy suggested to AFP in a telephone interview.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

Instead, the day after his visit to San Clemente, he called Ehrlichman to ask for another meeting.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

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.