do for
Britishverb
-
(tr) to convict of a crime or offence
they did him for manslaughter
-
(intr) to cause the ruin, death, or defeat of
the last punch did for him
-
(intr) to do housework for
-
to thrive or succeed
-
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]
-
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.
“That’s what we do for any new work or projects that modify the system.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
What else do you do for your clients besides investing their money?
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026
I asked the question that you’re asking, which is: “Why are states sticking with lethal injection? What does lethal injection do for us?”
From Slate ● Oct. 6, 2026
Gordon started to emerge as a clear option during Lee Carsley's time in interim charge, but said himself last October that he had only shown "50%" of what he can do for England.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
“Whatever you want,” I said in desperation, although I had no clue what I could possibly do for Elliot Mason that he’d care about.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
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.
