To answer for sth
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to be responsible for something bad, or to be punished for something:
To answer for sth meaning & definition 1 of To answer for sth.
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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:
To answer for sth meaning & definition 2 of To answer for sth.
