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

"They never asked for my medical history or what medication I was taking. It was like buying groceries."

From BBC

In the correspondence, Andrew's private secretary asks for the address where he would have been staying and "confirmation on whether there is room for both his protection officers at the house".

From BBC

The council also asked for a report within 30 days spelling out a strategy for “identifying, valuing, and processing abandoned recreational vehicles.”

From Los Angeles Times

The buyer can go in there and can ask any number of questions, ask for comparisons between one property to another, explore affordability—really ask an unlimited number of questions and get responsive answers.

From Barron's

Varvara, who asked for her name to be changed, managed to avoid being caught in a massive crackdown on street protestors.

From Barron's

Related Words

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