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

Data analytics, software development and other science, technology, engineering and math-related industries account for most of the AI mentions in job postings, per Indeed, but media, communications and information companies also seek AI-savvy hires. —Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 3 Feb. 2025

In direct funding, federal grants account for about $1.9 billion of the state’s current $26 billion annual budget. —Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 2 Feb. 2025

According to the Social Determinants of Health, a common framework for thinking about factors that influence overall health, our personal habits—like eating, smoking, drinking, and exercising—only account for about 30 percent of influencing factors. —Corey Buhay, Outside Online, 1 Feb. 2025

Mexico and Canada account for 70% of U.S. crude oil imports, which make up a key input for the nation's gasoline supply, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, a government agency. —Max Zahn, ABC News, 1 Feb. 2025