Phrasal verb
front for
Definition
phrasal verb. to act as a public face for a group or person, often to hide their secret or illegal activities.
phrasal verb. to serve as a nominal head or representative for an organization, typically to provide a respectable facade for illicit or covert operations.
Examples
“The small café was actually fronting for a large gambling ring.”
“Investigators discovered that the charity was merely fronting for a political group trying to avoid taxes.”
“The legitimate export business served as a convenient mechanism to front for the cartel's international distribution network.”
Examples
simple
“The small café was actually fronting for a large gambling ring.”
contextual
“Investigators discovered that the charity was merely fronting for a political group trying to avoid taxes.”
complex
“The legitimate export business served as a convenient mechanism to front for the cartel's international distribution network.”
Usage
usually followed by a noun representing the hidden entity or activity.
Teaching tip
anchor this to the noun 'front' (a facade); it is often used in crime dramas or news reports about money laundering and corporate shells.
Pitfall
He was front for the company.
He was fronting for the company.
when used as a verb to describe an ongoing role, the progressive '-ing' form is required.
Phrasal verb
Particles
for
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
front + for + object
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/front-for