# respond to sth/sb

CEFR A2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/respond-to-sth-sb
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

to say or do something as an answer to a person or a situation.

For teachers: to reply to a communication or react to a stimulus; functions as an intransitive verb followed by a prepositional object.

## Examples

- I need to respond to his email today.
- The emergency services respond to thousands of calls every single day.
- The market failed to respond to the central bank's intervention, leading to further currency devaluation throughout the afternoon.

## Pitfalls

- Not "Please respond me as soon as possible." but "Please respond to me as soon as possible." — unlike the verb 'answer', 'respond' must be followed by the preposition 'to' before the object.

## Usage notes

- always requires the preposition 'to' before the person or thing being answered.
- Teaching tip: contrast with 'answer', which is a transitive verb and does not take 'to'; learners often confuse the two by saying 'respond him'.

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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.