answer for
Britishverb
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to be liable or responsible for (a person's actions, behaviour, etc)
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to vouch for or speak on behalf of (a person)
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to suffer or atone for (one's wrongdoing)
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Take responsibility for, take charge of, as in The new alarm system has to answer for the security of the grounds . [Late 1200s]
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Take the blame for, as in The kids who were caught shoplifting have a lot to answer for . [c. 1200]
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To vouch for or sponsor someone, as in I'll answer for John as a reliable employee . [Early 1700s]
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.
The question investors will have to answer for themselves: Is it really worth that much?
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026
The answer for you is to spend that money when you need it most and when it would benefit your overall financial situation to have tax-free money.
From MarketWatch • May 21, 2026
But for me, it’s a way to get them in the room and answer for what they’re doing.
From Slate • May 19, 2026
And I don’t have any answer for it.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2026
“You have an answer for everything, don’t you?”
From "Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus" by Dusti Bowling
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.
