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.
“Eric has stumbled on what for me was the heart of the entire film,” Johnson said of Tony’s arc toward honesty on-screen.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
And he also sees semis as possibly “the latest commodity to boom this year,” drawing what for bulls may be a worrying comparison to the performance of silver stocks — though with a four-month lag.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 29, 2026
“I hear many composers use references, but what for? That’s not what we do. We have the film to be inspired by. That’s enough.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 10, 2026
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’m sure it’s all some kind of metaphor, but I’m too tired and hungry to figure out what for.
From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland
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.
