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
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
Snoeijs, who is now 29 and an experienced Netherlands international, can speak matter-of-factly about what for many would be a trepidatious hospital visit.
From BBC • Oct. 9, 2025
I shrugged, dried my hands on the dish towel and followed him, thinking if maybe I was in trouble and what for.
From "We Were Here" by Matt De La Peña
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.
