# answer for

CEFR B2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/answer-for
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

to take responsibility for something bad you have done or to explain why it happened.

For teachers: 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.

## Pitfalls

- Not "He must answer for to his crimes." but "He must answer for his crimes." — the preposition 'for' is followed directly by the object of responsibility without adding 'to'.

## Usage notes

- 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).

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.