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.
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
“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
Israelis on Monday celebrated what for many feels like the end of the war.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 14, 2025
“Aye, m’lord, I saw them. Horpe and Massey, it were. Claimed Stannis sent ’em out, but never said where or what for or when they would be back.”
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. 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.
