what for
Idioms-
For what purpose or reason, why, as in I know you're going to England, but what for? [Mid-1700s]
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A punishment or scolding, as in You'll get what for from Mom if she catches you smoking , or The teacher really gave Bud what for . [ Colloquial ; second half of 1800s]
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 now what for the Gunners academy graduate?
From BBC ● Mar. 14, 2026
They wrote: “Mortgage costs are a decisive factor in consumers’ assessment of their ability to make what for many Americans amounts to the most meaningful purchase of their lives.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 20, 2026
The Justice Department said the paint job wasn’t a certainty and argued there was no reason for a judge to police what for now remains a hypothetical project.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 16, 2025
She was determined to shine a light on what, for many Americans on both sides of the color line, is a hidden and forgotten history.
From Salon ● Dec. 13, 2025
“I’ll just step outside then. See what’s what for a change.”
From "Worth" by A. LaFaye
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.
