answer for

answer for idiom
  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]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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