answer for (something)
idiom
1
: to take responsibility for (something)
I can't answer for their safety.
The company will have to answer for any damage done by its employees.
2
: to be punished for (something)
He must answer for his crimes.
3
US
: to be used or serve as (something)
The old bucket answered for a sink.
Examples of answer for (something) in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But Toronto had an answer for every Minnesota push over the final 17 minutes, keeping the Frost to the perimeter for much of the final minute when Hensley was on the bench for an extra attacker.
—
Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 7 May 2025
Well, the Warriors had no answer for the Rockets in Game 6, either.
—Sam Settleman, New York Times, 3 May 2025
Of course, the reason for the season, Shauna Shipman is that dark — and the complex character has left actress Sophie Nélisse with a lot to answer for after the finale.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 22 Apr. 2025
The answer for why can be found in newspapers and magazines that grow skinnier and more economically challenged by the day.
—John Tamny, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for answer for (something)
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Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 7 May 2025
Well, the Warriors had no answer for the Rockets in Game 6, either.
—Sam Settleman, New York Times, 3 May 2025
Of course, the reason for the season, Shauna Shipman is that dark — and the complex character has left actress Sophie Nélisse with a lot to answer for after the finale.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 22 Apr. 2025
The answer for why can be found in newspapers and magazines that grow skinnier and more economically challenged by the day.
—John Tamny, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for answer for (something)
Cite this Entry
“Answer for (something).” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/answer%20for%20%28something%29. Accessed 20 May. 2025.
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