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.
So when I read it, I was like, “Oh, OK. That’s like those five-page monologues that you don’t get very often to do for one character in one episode.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026
Are there things that you do for yourself to maintain your own sanity?
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026
"That helped us narrow down what we want to do for our new music, and that's how Spaghetti came along."
From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026
“Who wants to be 60 years old and your parents die and you get a bundle of money? What does that do for you?”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026
“Nice to meet you, Ray. I’m Pastor Tuggle. So, what can I do for you two gentlemen?”
From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko
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.
