Phrasal verb
answer for
Definition
phrasal verb. to take responsibility for something bad you have done or to explain why it happened.
phrasal verb. to be held accountable for one's actions or to justify a specific outcome; often used in contexts of punishment or formal explanation.
Examples
“You will have to answer for your mistakes.”
“The manager had to answer for the company's poor financial performance during the annual meeting.”
“Historians argue that the former leader must eventually answer for the systemic corruption that flourished under his administration.”
Examples
simple
“You will have to answer for your mistakes.”
contextual
“The manager had to answer for the company's poor financial performance during the annual meeting.”
complex
“Historians argue that the former leader must eventually answer for the systemic corruption that flourished under his administration.”
Usage
usually followed by a noun representing a mistake, a crime, or a negative result.
Teaching tip
contrast with 'answer to' (which focuses on the person in authority) versus 'answer for' (which focuses on the action or responsibility).
Pitfall
He must answer for to his crimes.
He must answer for his crimes.
the preposition 'for' is followed directly by the object of responsibility without adding 'to'.
Phrasal verb
Particles
for
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
answer + for + object
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/answer-for