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 conversations behind the scenes at the convention culminated in Harris’ final answer for their request: no.
From Slate ● Sep. 25, 2026
Spence said she didn’t have an answer for why demand was slowing, but noted many comments from manufacturers suggested it was due to higher prices.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026
These sorts of questions are a lot easier to answer for a child, he says, instead of asking what they did.
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026
But they appear to have little answer for what to do with the thousands of migrants who have refused to go back.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
My mom doesn’t have an answer for that.
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
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.
