answer

1 of 2

noun

an·swer ˈan(t)-sər

Synonyms of answer next

: something spoken or written in reply to a question

His answer surprised us.

: a correct response

knows the answer

: a reply to a legal charge or suit : plea

also : defense

: something done in response or reaction

His only answer was to walk out.

: a solution of a problem

verb

answered; answering ˈan(t)s-riŋ

ˈan(t)-sə-

intransitive verb

: to speak or write in reply

think carefully before answering

: to be or make oneself responsible or accountable

answer for a debt

: to make amends : atone

He must answer for his crimes.

: to be in conformity or correspondence

She answered to the description.

: to act in response to an action performed elsewhere or by another

The home team scored first but the visitors answered quickly.

: to be adequate : serve

an old bucket answered for a sink

The school had to answer for a town hall.

transitive verb

: to speak or write in reply to

answer a question

answer me

: to say or write by way of reply

answer yes or no

: to reply to in rebuttal, justification, or explanation

answer an accusation

: to correspond to

answers the description

: to be adequate or usable for : fulfill

answer a need

: to act in response to

answered the call to arms

: to offer a solution for

especially : solve

answer a riddle

obsolete : to atone for

answerer

ˈan(t)-sər-ər

noun

Choose the Right Synonym for answer

answer, response, reply, rejoinder, retort mean something spoken, written, or done in return.

answer implies the satisfying of a question, demand, call, or need.

had answers to all their questions

response may imply a quick or spontaneous reaction to a person or thing that serves as a stimulus.

a response to the call for recruits

reply often suggests a thorough response to all issues, points, or questions raised.

a point-by-point reply to the accusation

rejoinder can be a response to a reply or to an objection.

a salesman with a quick rejoinder to every argument

retort implies a reaction to an implicit or explicit charge, criticism, or attack which contains a countercharge or counterattack.

she made a cutting retort to her critics

Example Sentences

Noun I asked him a simple question and he gave me a long and confusing answer. I didn't believe her answer. They wouldn't give me a straight answer to my question. I didn't know the right answer. That is the wrong answer. Do you know the answer to this question? He knew the answers to only 3 of the 10 questions. The answers are listed in the back of the book. Verb She answered all my questions. He answered only three of the test questions correctly. When the police asked him his name, he refused to answer. When I ask you a question I expect you to answer me! Answer me this: where have you put my money? I sent her a letter asking for her help, but she never answered. The phone rang repeatedly, but no one answered. Would somebody please answer the phone? I knocked on the door but no one answered. No one answered the door. See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

This is probably the biggest question on your mind and the answer is: duh. —

Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 3 Mar. 2023 The answer isn’t to do technosocial research in secret—or worse, not at all—but to do it to higher ethical standards. —

WIRED, 2 Mar. 2023 For some on Capitol Hill, the answer is to embrace ESG. —

Eamon Barrett, Fortune, 2 Mar. 2023 The answer to this week’s contest crossword is a word related to movies. —

WSJ, 2 Mar. 2023 And for a classic New England vacation, the answer is always Ocean House. —

Leena Kim, Town & Country, 2 Mar. 2023 The answer, as Bennett has shown me, is not clear and definitive. —

Morgan Meis, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2023 Virtually everyone who has weighed in on the question of COVID’s origin observes that the answer is important to global public health. —

Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2023 The answer is likely somewhere in between, according to senior Comscore analyst Paul Dergarabedian. —

Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 27 Feb. 2023

Verb

That was a question sports fans and bar owners were forced to answer Saturday as the second round of the NCAA Tournament clashed with Team USA’s WBC quarterfinal game against undefeated Venezuela. —

Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 19 Mar. 2023 All questions that the four-time all-West Coast Conference forward hopes to answer shortly after the Pilots’ run ends at the NCAA women’s basketball tournament. —

Ndaschel, oregonlive, 18 Mar. 2023 The people did not provide details of Howell’s decision, and the scope of what questions Corcoran must answer was not clear. —

Spencer S. Hsu, Washington Post, 17 Mar. 2023 In the late 1950s, dentist and U.S. Navy Captain Kirk C. Hoerman, then a young man in his 30s, attempted to answer a bold question: Might the saliva of prostate cancer patients have different characteristics from that of healthy people? —

Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Mar. 2023 To answer that question, T&C chatted with Magdalena Rahman, Global Training Lead at Hästens, and asked her to share her go-to advice for getting a restful snooze. —

Ana Osorno, Town & Country, 17 Mar. 2023 Mattel, Instacart and other companies have also been integrating generative AI tools like ChatGPT and the image generator Dall-E to come up with ideas for new toy cars and answer customers’ food questions. —

Haleluya Hadero, Fortune, 17 Mar. 2023 Western leaders, including President Biden, have repeatedly insisted that Russian President Vladimir Putin will answer personally for this war. —

Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2023 Nikki Haley, Mike Pompeo, John Bolton, Chris Sununu, and Asa Hutchinson all declined to answer Carlson directly, but Haley released her own statement. —

Dan Mclaughlin, National Review, 16 Mar. 2023 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'answer.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English, from Old English andswaru (akin to Old Norse andsvar answer); akin to Old English and- against, swerian to swear — more at ante-

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of answer was before the 12th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Answer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/answer. Accessed 27 Mar. 2023.

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Kids Definition

answer

1 of 2 noun

an·swer ˈan(t)-sər

: something spoken or written in reply especially to a question

: a correct response

knew the answer

: a solution of a problem

: something said or done in response

answer

2 of 2 verb

answered; answering ˈan(t)s-(ə-)riŋ

: to speak or write in reply

: to take responsibility for something

answered for the children's safety

: to make amends

must answer for their crime

: conform sense 2, correspond

answered to the description

: to be what is needed for : serve

answered the purpose

: to find a solution for

answer a riddle

answerer

ˈan(t)-sər-ər

noun

Legal Definition

answer

1 of 2 noun

an·swer

: the defendant's written response to the plaintiff's complaint in a civil suit in which he or she may deny any of the plaintiff's allegations, offer any defenses, and make any counterclaims against the plaintiff, cross-claims against other defendants, or third-party claims against third parties otherwise not involved in the lawsuit

: a written response to a counterclaim, cross-claim, or third-party claim : reply see also responsive pleading at pleading sense 1

Note: In federal cases, answers are governed by Rule 12 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Under Rule 12, certain defenses (as lack of jurisdiction) may be made by motion rather than included in the answer.

answer

2 of 2 intransitive verb

: to serve or file an answer

: to make oneself responsible or accountable (as for the debt of another)

transitive verb

: to reply to in an answer

answer the complaint

: to make a defense against (as a charge or accusation)

answerable adjective