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

But Hodgson said: "You cannot just donate something and then ask for it back. That's the whole point of a donation."

From BBC ● Sep. 19, 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

Patrick and I quickly ask for a meeting.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

Powers said, “I was told to ask for a Mr. William Collins.”

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

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