account for (someone or something)

phrasal verb

accounted for (someone or something); accounting for (someone or something); accounts for (someone or something)

1

: to show what happened to (someone or something) : know where (something or someone) is

We have to account for the time we spend on each activity.

The government couldn't account for millions of dollars of the taxpayers' money.

Is everyone accounted for?

2

: to destroy or kill (someone or something)

Enemy fighters have accounted for most of our bombers, Sir.

3

chiefly British : to defeat or beat (someone or something)

We accounted for the challengers 3–2.

Examples of account for (someone or something) in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Analysts have estimated margins on the Ford F-150 to be ~20% per vehicle and that F-150s account for 90% of Ford’s total profits. —Mark Dent, HubSpot, 27 June 2025

Employers who fail to account for these experiences risk missing a critical part of the employee wellness equation. —Stephen Sokoler, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025

The three exempted base zones (RS1/5-7) account for 93% of the ADUs in the density bonus program and Bothwell said most of Pacific Beach is in those three zones. —Steven Mihailovich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 June 2025

Serious violent offenders account for just 7% of those in custody, according to the institute. —Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2025