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

Leave plenty of distance between you and the vehicle in front of you to account for sudden stops or changes in the traffic pattern. —Ca Weather Bot, Sacramento Bee, 27 Feb. 2025

There is already a ChatGPT account for every four Estonian citizens and the country already ranks among the top 15 in global AI adoption. —Dan Fitzpatrick, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025

Caveat: These raw state-by-state figures don't account for varying costs of living between locations. —Alex Fitzpatrick, Axios, 26 Feb. 2025

Mainline Protestants account for 11% of U.S. adults, down from 18%. —Jason Derose, NPR, 26 Feb. 2025