answer for

British  

verb

1. to be liable or responsible for (a person's actions, behaviour, etc)

2. to vouch for or speak on behalf of (a person)

3. to suffer or atone for (one's wrongdoing)

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answer for Idioms  

1. Take responsibility for, take charge of, as in The new alarm system has to answer for the security of the grounds . [Late 1200s]

2. Take the blame for, as in The kids who were caught shoplifting have a lot to answer for . [c. 1200]

3. To vouch for or sponsor someone, as in I'll answer for John as a reliable employee . [Early 1700s]

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Example Sentences

The new franchise across the pond, “Saturday Night Live UK,” initially looked as though it might be an answer for fatigued viewers looking for a refresh, but even that show has stumbled.

From Salon • Apr. 19, 2026

The answer for many is more solar and wind power plus electric vehicles—even if that means more dependence on a single country.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

Wang called OpenClaw "the AI era's answer for ordinary people".

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

“They killed us inside — we had no answer for their big man. Their matchup zone gave us problems. We couldn’t figure out and we got stagnant.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 11, 2026

Stacy gave Amanda a second to answer for herself, but Amanda simply dipped her brush in the red paint and silently swiped it along the fence.

From "Pony Problems: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, #3" by Carolyn Keene