answer to (someone)

1 of 2

phrase (1)

: to be required to explain one's actions to (someone)
He has to answer to a tough boss.

answer to (something)

2 of 2

phrase (2)

: to be the same as or match (something)
The suspect answers to the description perfectly.

Examples of answer to (someone) in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Phrase
The star franchise quarterback is the answer to every question. — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 4 Apr. 2026 Think of it as Salesforce's answer to Microsoft's Copilot AI assistant. — Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2026 After all, the word responsibility stems from the Latin respons, meaning respond or answer to. — Pia Lauritzen, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2026 The answer to this is neither; drinking hot water isn’t more hydrating or better than cold water or vice versa. — Audrey Noble, Vogue, 28 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for answer to (someone)

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Answer to (someone).” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/answer%20to%20%28someone%29. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster