account for (someone or something)
phrasal verb
accounted for (someone or something); accounting for (someone or something); accounts for (someone or something)
1
: to show what happened to (someone or something) : know where (something or someone) is
We have to account for the time we spend on each activity.
The government couldn't account for millions of dollars of the taxpayers' money.
Is everyone accounted for?
2
: to destroy or kill (someone or something)
Enemy fighters have accounted for most of our bombers, Sir.
3
chiefly British
: to defeat or beat (someone or something)
We accounted for the challengers 3–2.
Examples of account for (someone or something) in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Google Ads and Microsoft Ads can detect this tactic—and may penalize your account for keyword stuffing.
—
Mykola Lukashuk, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
Electric vehicles account for more than 95% of the taxi fleet in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou.
—Clay Chandler, Fortune, 19 July 2025
The $150 in bonus bets will be valid in your account for seven days before expiring.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 July 2025
The trench coat maker's sales in the Americas — which account for about a fifth of business — rose 4% from a year ago, the company reported in its fiscal first-quarter results Friday.
—Samantha Subin, CNBC, 18 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for account for (someone or something)
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Mykola Lukashuk, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
Electric vehicles account for more than 95% of the taxi fleet in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou.
—Clay Chandler, Fortune, 19 July 2025
The $150 in bonus bets will be valid in your account for seven days before expiring.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 July 2025
The trench coat maker's sales in the Americas — which account for about a fifth of business — rose 4% from a year ago, the company reported in its fiscal first-quarter results Friday.
—Samantha Subin, CNBC, 18 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for account for (someone or something)
Cite this Entry
“Account for (someone or something).” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/account%20for%20%28someone%20or%20something%29. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.
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