say for
idiom
—used with words such as something, little, a lot, etc., to show that someone or something does or does not deserve to be praised, admired, etc.
It says a lot for her that she stayed in the game even though she was injured.
The students' low test scores don't say much for the education they're receiving.
Examples of say for in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
More fascinating, though, is what Brooks has to say for himself.
—
Judy Berman, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
Some of this unprecedented editorial permissiveness can be attributed to the disappearance of a stable moral consensus to bind the ruling class to its subjects, who have come to develop the conviction that the Establishment has nothing good to say for itself.
—Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
The bottom line is, more research is needed to say for sure if or how preservatives cause cancer.
—Jamie Ducharme, Health, 9 Jan. 2026
That ought to be enough for researchers to say for sure whether dark energy is varying or not.
—Quanta Magazine, 17 Dec. 2025
The best part of all just might be the fact that the on-sale silhouette comes in 17 distinct shades, which is more than most Hermès Birkin iterations can say for themselves.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 20 Nov. 2025
No one can say for certain if the market will rally again soon, but stocks have history on its side.
—Medora Lee, USA Today, 20 Nov. 2025
There’s obviously a lot to say for this technology.
—Hugh Leask,chloe Taylor, CNBC, 29 Oct. 2025
Because who can say for certain where these Patriots are going?
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 19 Oct. 2025
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.
Judy Berman, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
Some of this unprecedented editorial permissiveness can be attributed to the disappearance of a stable moral consensus to bind the ruling class to its subjects, who have come to develop the conviction that the Establishment has nothing good to say for itself.
—Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
The bottom line is, more research is needed to say for sure if or how preservatives cause cancer.
—Jamie Ducharme, Health, 9 Jan. 2026
That ought to be enough for researchers to say for sure whether dark energy is varying or not.
—Quanta Magazine, 17 Dec. 2025
The best part of all just might be the fact that the on-sale silhouette comes in 17 distinct shades, which is more than most Hermès Birkin iterations can say for themselves.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 20 Nov. 2025
No one can say for certain if the market will rally again soon, but stocks have history on its side.
—Medora Lee, USA Today, 20 Nov. 2025
There’s obviously a lot to say for this technology.
—Hugh Leask,chloe Taylor, CNBC, 29 Oct. 2025
Because who can say for certain where these Patriots are going?
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 19 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Say for.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/say%20for. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
