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

“His family and those closest to him are deeply grateful for the concern, prayers and respectfully ask for privacy,” the statement read, without offering further details.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026

I send questions, ask for prescription refills, and am able to look over all my test results quickly and conveniently.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

If the auditor is not happy with what a company proposes, the commission can ask for "corrective measures".

From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026

He did not, it appears, request permission or ask for advice.

From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2026

But he was far away, too; too far to readily ask for advice.

From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood

Related Words

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