1
general::
answer for sth
to be responsible for something bad, or to be punished for something
• I expect parents to answer for their children's behaviour.
• "Why do you think there's so much violence nowadays?" "Well, violence on television has a lot to answer for (= is the cause of much of it).", answer (sb) back
to speak rudely when answering someone in authority
• Don't you dare answer me back, young lady!, answer back
to react to criticism by arguing or explaining
• The company criticized in the documentary was given the opportunity to answer back., answer for sb/sth
If you say that you can answer for someone or for a quality that they have, you mean that you know from experience that they can be trusted, or that they have that quality
• I can certainly answer for her professionalism, and whole-heartedly recommend her to any employer., answer to sb
to take orders from, obey and explain your actions to someone
• The great thing about working for yourself is that you don't have to answer to anyone.
Cambridge-Phrasal Verbs
2
general::
verb ADV. affirmatively, in the affirmative She answered in the affirmative. | in the negative, negatively | honestly, truthfully He tried to answer as honestly as he could. | correctly | fully What he told me does not fully answer the question of what his motives were. | satisfactorily | evasively | coldly, curtly | calmly | quietly, softly, noun sth that you say/write/do as a reply ADJ. brief, quick, short The short answer to your query is that he has acted completely illegally. | blunt, direct, straight I expect a straight answer to a straight question. | detailed, full, precise | immediate | final | affirmative, positive | negative | honest, reasonable, sensible | dusty (= unsatisfactory) I complained to the water company and received a very dusty answer. VERB + ANSWER get, have, receive Did you ever get an answer to your letter? | demand | wait for | give sb, offer Please give her your answer, so she can make the necessary arrangements. She repeated her question, but he offered no answer. | guess, know I think you can guess the answer?they won't lend us the money. ANSWER + VERB come The answer came in a postcard she sent from Devon. PREP. in ~ to In answer to your enquiries, I can only say that we did not find her work of a satisfactory standard. | ~ to her answer to his question solution to a problem ADJ. easy, instant, ready, simple | clear, clear-cut, obvious The obvious answer would be to cancel the party. | logical, reasonable, sensible | adequate, real, satisfactory | complete, convincing, definitive, effective, good, long-term, perfect | partial VERB + ANSWER have, know We are aware of this problem, but we do not have the answer. | look for, seek | arrive at, come up with, find We have arrived at an answer which we hope will satisfy everyone. | give sb, offer, provide If you want to save time, this machine will provide the answer. PREP. ~ to There is no easy answer to the problem. PHRASES have/know all the answers He's so arrogant, he thinks he knows all the answers. to questions in a test ADJ. acceptable, appropriate, correct, right | incorrect, wrong | written This part of the exam requires a written answer. VERB + ANSWER give | guess It's not worth guessing the answer, as you may lose marks. | know | print, write Please print the answers to questions 1 to 9. PREP. ~ to Do you know the answer to the question?
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
3
general::
answer
adjectives
an honest/straight answer
• The honest answer is that I don’t know.
a definite answer
(= that says yes or no definitely )
• Can you give me a definite answer tomorrow?
a satisfactory answer
• I didn’t get a satisfactory answer from the company.
verbs
give somebody an answer
• I’ll give you an answer tomorrow.
get/receive an answer
• She wrote to him but she never got an answer.
wait for an answer
• Kate was looking at me, waiting for an answer.
think of an answer
• She couldn’t think of a suitable answer to his question.
phrases
the short answer is ...
(= used when giving a simple, honest, or direct answer to a difficult question )
• ‘How does homeopathy work?’ ‘The short answer to this question is that we do not know how homeopathic remedies work.’
answer 2
adjectives
the right/wrong answer
• Do you know the right answer to this question?
the correct/incorrect answer
• You get 5 points for each correct answer.
verbs
know the answer
• Put up your hand if you know the answer.
guess the answer
• If you don’t know the answer, try guessing it.
write the answer
• Do we write the answers in the exercise book, Sir?
answer 3
adjectives
the simple/easy answer
• There are a lot of problems and no simple answers.
the obvious answer
• The obvious answer is to raise taxes, but that would be unpopular.
the perfect answer
• I think I have the perfect answer to the problem.
the complete answer
• A loan, however, is not the complete answer to the company’s problems.
the long-term answer
• He believes hydrogen is the long-term answer to our growing energy crisis.
a short-term answer
• Employing overseas nurses is only a short-term answer to the shortage.
verbs
have an answer
• Doctors are supposed to have all the answers.
find an answer
• The aim is to find a long-term answer to poverty.
come up with an answer
(= find a way of dealing with a problem )
• The government is struggling to come up with answers to our economic problems.
transnet.ir
5
general::
answer
something you say when someone asks you a question or speaks to you:
• I asked if he wanted to come, but I didn’t get an answer. • If you’re asking me for money, the answer’s no!
reply
an answer. Used especially in written English to report what someone said:
• She asked how he felt, and received the reply, ‘Awful!’ • ‘Finished now?’ ‘No,' came the reply.
response
an answer that clearly shows your reaction to a question, suggestion etc:
• Wagner’s responses showed that he had thought carefully about the issues. • ‘Sure. Why not?’ was his response to most of Billie’s suggestions.
retort
written an angry answer given when someone has annoyed you or criticized you:
• Isabelle began an angry retort and then stopped herself.
comeback
a quick answer that is clever, funny, or rude:
• He walked out before I could think of a snappy comeback.
riposte
formal a quick and clever answer:
• Anna produced the perfect riposte.
rejoinder
formal a quick answer, especially a clever or rude one:
• If he confronts them, he’ll run the risk of a sharp rejoinder., answer
to say something to someone when they have asked you a question or spoken to you:
• You don’t have to answer the question if you don’t want to. • I said hello to her, but she didn’t answer.
reply
to answer someone. Used especially in written English to report what someone said:
• ‘I’m so sorry,’ he replied. • We asked Jane to help, but she replied that she was too busy.
respond
formal to answer someone:
• How do you respond to the allegation that you deliberately deceived your employers?
give somebody an answer
to answer someone by telling them what you have decided or giving them a piece of information they asked for:
• He asked me to marry him, but I didn’t give him an answer straight away.
get back to somebody
to answer someone at a later time especially by telephoning them, usually because you need to think about their question or find out more information:
• She’s promised to get back to me as soon as she hears any more news from the hospital.
retort
written to answer someone angrily, especially because they have annoyed you or criticized you:
• ‘You’re not afraid?’ Brenda asked. ‘Of course not,’ he retorted angrily.
Longman-Thesaurus