do for
Britishverb
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(tr) to convict of a crime or offence
they did him for manslaughter
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(intr) to cause the ruin, death, or defeat of
the last punch did for him
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(intr) to do housework for
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to thrive or succeed
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Bring about the death, defeat, or ruin of, as in He swore he'd do for him . This usage is often put in the passive voice (see done for ). [First half of 1700s]
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Care or provide for, take care of, as in They decided to hire a housekeeper to do for Grandmother . This usage today is more common in Britain than in America. [Early 1500s]
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.
“Think about what it would do for local communities if they had a local team that was vying to get promoted,” says Szymanski at the University of Michigan.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
It gives people nothing to do for a few minutes except notice one another.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
"Maybe they do for some people but it made me laugh. We just live in a world where everyone is hyper-aware and they find something to zone in on, and it becomes a huge thing."
From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026
In each and every campaign she’s run, “it’s always been about what she can do for Maine,” as Tom Allen put it.
From Slate ● Jun. 16, 2026
There was almost nothing anyone could do for him, but Dr. McIlroy massaged the young man’s feet, trying to restore the circulation.
From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong
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.
