INDEX:
1. to answer when someone asks you a question or speaks to you
2. to answer a letter, invitation, e-mail etc
3. to answer the telephone/the door
4. to answer a teacher, parent etc in a rude way
5. something you say as an answer
6. something you write as an answer
7. to not answer someone
8. the answer to a question in a test, competition etc
9. to give an answer to a question in a test, competition etc
10. to find or calculate the answer to a question
RELATED WORDS
to find the answer to a problem : ↑ SOLVE
see also
↑ ASK
↑ REACT
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1. to answer when someone asks you a question or speaks to you
▷ answer /ˈɑːnsəʳǁˈæn-/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to say something to someone when they have asked you a question or spoken to you :
▪ Julie thought for a long time before answering.
▪ I said hello to her, but she didn’t answer.
▪ ‘Why don’t you just leave?’ ‘I’d like to,’ she answered, ‘but I have nowhere else to go.’
▪ How much did you spend? Come on, answer me!
answer a question
▪ You don’t have to answer the question if you don’t want to.
answer that
▪ When questioned about the robbery, Hughes answered that he knew nothing about it.
▷ reply /rɪˈplaɪ/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to answer someone when they have asked you a question or spoken to you - used especially in written English to report what someone said :
▪ I waited for Smith to reply, but he said nothing.
▪ ‘I’m so sorry,’ he replied.
reply to
▪ The jailers refused to reply to the prisoners’ questions about where they were being taken.
reply that
▪ We asked Jane to help, but she replied that she was too busy.
▷ respond /rɪˈspɒnd tuːǁ-ˈspɑːnd-/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to answer someone, especially someone who has criticized you or disagreed with you, in a clear and detailed way :
▪ The waitress waited a moment and then responded.
▪ ‘I’d be there if I could,’ Bill responded.
respond to
▪ How do you respond to the allegation that you deliberately deceived your employers?
▪ The meeting will give administrators a chance to respond to the community’s questions and concerns.
respond by saying/telling/asking etc
▪ His father usually responds by telling him to be quiet.
▷ give somebody an answer /ˌgɪv somebody ən ˈɑːnsəʳǁ-ˈæn-/ [verb phrase]
to answer someone by telling them what you have decided or by providing them with the particular piece of information that they have asked for :
▪ They’re offering us a new contract and we have to give them a definite answer by the end of the month.
▪ He didn’t give me a very satisfactory answer
▷ in reply (to)/in answer to/in response to /ɪn rɪˈplaɪ (tuː), ɪn ˈɑːnsəʳ tuːǁ-ˈæn-, ɪn rɪˈspɒns tuːǁ-rɪˈspɑːns-/ [adverb]
if you say or do something in reply to what someone has said, you say or do it as a way of answering their question, request, remark etc :
▪ ‘Where are we going?’ Jill asked. The driver only lifted his hand in reply, as if to silence her.
▪ ‘That won’t be necessary,’ Wilson said in reply to the question.
▪ In response to your question, no, I don’t think a meeting is necessary.
▷ get back to /ˌget ˈbæk tuː/ [transitive phrasal verb]
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 before you can give an answer :
▪ She’s promised to get back to me as soon as she hears any more news from the hospital.
▪ Tell you what, let me talk it over with the guys and I’ll get back to you.
▷ retort /rɪˈtɔːʳt/ [transitive verb not in progressive] 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.
retort that
▪ Republicans retorted that the amendment is necessary to balance the budget.
2. to answer a letter, invitation, e-mail etc
▷ reply /rɪˈplaɪ/ [intransitive verb]
to write a letter to someone who has written to you, or to someone who has put an advertisement in a newspaper :
▪ I wrote to Franca three weeks ago but she hasn’t replied yet.
reply to
▪ Becky hasn’t replied to our invitation, so I assume she isn’t coming.
▷ answer /ˈɑːnsəʳǁˈæn-/ [transitive verb]
if you answer a letter or advertisement, you write a letter to the person who has written it :
▪ I got the job by answering an advertisement in the paper.
▪ Miss Millar hired a secretary to answer her mail while she was on vacation.
▪ Think carefully before answering that memo.
▷ write back /ˌraɪt ˈbæk/ [intransitive/transitive phrasal verb]
to write a letter to someone who has written a letter to you :
▪ Sara wrote asking if she could help, so I wrote back and said yes.
write back to
▪ Josh, have you written back to Grandma yet?
write somebody back
American
▪ She didn’t really expect him to write her back.
▷ acknowledge /əkˈnɒlɪdʒǁ-ˈnɑː-/ [transitive verb] formal
to write a letter telling someone that you have received a letter, parcel etc that they have sent you :
▪ I have just sent off a letter acknowledging their message.
acknowledge receipt of something
officially acknowledge that you have received something
▪ Please acknowledge receipt of this document by signing and returning the enclosed form.
▷ RSVP/R.S.V.P. /ˌɑːr es viː ˈpiː/ written
please answer this invitation - used at the end of formal invitations when asking someone to say if they can definitely come to a wedding, formal dinner etc :
▪ Dr Fischer requests your company at a dinner to celebrate his retirement at the Dorchester Hotel on November 30th at 10 pm. RSVP.
▷ in response/answer/reply to something /ɪn rɪˈspɒns, ˈɑːnsəʳ, rɪˈplaɪ tə something ǁ-rɪˈspɑːns-, -ˈæn-/ [adverb]
if you say or do something in response to what someone has written, you say or do it as a way of answering their question, request, advertisement etc :
▪ She said she’d come to the office in response to an ad she’d seen in the paper.
▪ In answer to recent criticism the President has issued a statement explaining his policies.
3. to answer the telephone/the door
▷ answer /ˈɑːnsəʳǁˈæn-/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to pick up the telephone and speak when it rings, or go to the door and open it when someone knocks :
▪ I knocked on the door for a long time, but no one answered.
answer the telephone/a call/the door
▪ A strange man answered the door.
▪ She still isn’t answering my calls.
▷ get /get/ [transitive verb]
to answer the telephone, or go to the door when someone knocks :
get the phone/door
▪ I’ll get the phone. I think it’s for me.
▪ Can someone get the door - I’m in the shower!
get it
spoken answer the phone/door
▪ The phone’s ringing. Do you want me to get it?
▷ take a call /ˌteɪk ə ˈkɔːl/ [verb phrase]
to speak to someone on the telephone because the person that they want to speak to is not available :
▪ I was out that day, and my mother took the call.
▪ Do you want to take the call in your office?
take a call for
▪ Someone wants to speak to Professor Welch, but I can’t find him. Would you take the call for him please.
▷ pick up /ˌpɪk ˈʌp/ [intransitive/transitive phrasal verb] spoken
to answer a phone and talk to the person who is calling :
▪ Come on Bob, pick up! I know you’re there.
pick up the phone
▪ Just pick up the phone and tell her to stop calling you here.
pick it/the phone up
▪ After the phone had rung twice, Joyce picked it up and said hello.
4. to answer a teacher, parent etc in a rude way
▷ answer back/talk back /ˌɑːnsəʳ ˈbækÛ-ˌæn-, ˌtɔːk ˈbæk/ []
to answer someone rudely, especially a teacher, parent etc when they criticize you or tell you to do something :
▪ Don’t talk back. It’s rude.
answer somebody back
▪ We were all scared of Mr Williams, but here was a girl who actually answered him back.
talk back to somebody
▪ Don’t talk back to your mother like that!
▷ back talk also back chat British /ˈbæk tɔːk, ˈbæk tʃæt/ [uncountable noun]
rude remarks that someone makes when they answer their teacher, parent etc :
▪ I don’t want any excuses, complaints, or back talk.
▪ Any more of your back chat and you’ll have to stay behind after school.
5. something you say as an answer
▷ answer /ˈɑːnsəʳǁˈæn-/ [countable noun]
something you say when someone asks you a question or speaks to you :
▪ Each time I ask him when the work will be done, I get a different answer.
▪ I’ve asked Yvonne to come on vacation with us, but I’m still waiting for her answer.
the answer is no/yes
▪ If you’re asking me for money, the answer’s no!
answer to a question
▪ The answer to your question is very simple: you failed the exam because you didn’t do any work.
the answer is (that)
▪ Why don’t people complain? The answer is that they are frightened of losing their jobs.
▷ reply /rɪˈplaɪ/ [countable noun]
something you say when someone asks you a question or speaks to you - use this especially in written English to report what someone has said :
▪ Dr Kleinert murmured a reply, but I couldn’t hear what it was.
▪ ‘I’m just borrowing your black dress, OK?’ said Maxine, without waiting for a reply.
reply to
▪ Railway officials say it isn’t their fault - which is their standard reply to customers’ complaints.
▷ response /rɪˈspɒnsǁrɪˈspɑːns/ [countable noun]
an answer that clearly shows your reaction to a question, suggestion etc :
▪ Wagner’s responses showed that he had thought carefully about the issues.
response to
▪ ‘Sure. Why not?’ was his response to most of Billie’s suggestions.
▷ retort /rɪˈtɔːʳt/ [countable noun] written
an angry or cleverly humorous answer, especially to someone who has made you angry :
▪ Ellie’s angry retort surprised Max.
▪ She could never think of a clever retort to counter Ben’s string of jokes and witticisms.
6. something you write as an answer
▷ reply /rɪˈplaɪ/ [countable noun]
a written answer to a letter, invitation, or advertisement :
▪ We advertised for a secretary in the local paper and got 24 replies.
▪ I wrote to them three weeks ago and I haven’t had a reply back yet.
reply to
▪ It is usual to send a formal reply to a wedding invitation.
▷ answer /ˈɑːnsəʳǁˈæn-/ [countable noun]
a letter that you write back to someone who has asked you for something :
▪ We’ve written to the bank requesting a loan, and we’re expecting an answer in this morning’s mail.
answer to
▪ Did you ever get an answer to your last letter?
▷ acknowledgement /əkˈnɒlɪdʒməntǁ-ˈnɑː-/ [countable noun]
a formal letter or note stating that a letter, parcel etc has been received :
▪ I received an acknowledgement from Toshiba yesterday telling me that they were considering my application for the job.
letter of acknowledgement
▪ He’s still waiting for a letter of acknowledgement of the last cheque he sent them.
▷ response /rɪˈspɒnsǁrɪˈspɑːns/ [countable noun]
an answer that clearly shows your reaction to a question, suggestion etc :
▪ I mailed the letter on Monday and had a response already on Friday.
response to
▪ Write your responses to the questions on the back of the sheet.
7. to not answer someone
▷ not answer /nɒt ˈɑːnsəʳǁ-ˈæn-/ [verb phrase]
▪ ‘What are you doing here?’ The child’s mouth trembled a little, but he did not answer.
not answer somebody/something
▪ I’m afraid I can’t answer that question.
▪ I knew there was something wrong when she didn’t answer me.
▷ no answer/reply/response /nəʊ ˈɑːnsəʳ, rɪˈplaɪ, rɪˈspɒnsǁ-ˈæn-, rɪˈspɑːns/ [noun phrase]
there is no answer/reply/response
▪ I called Stevie’s name but there was no answer.
get no answer/reply/response
▪ He’s written three letters to the mayor, but he’s gotten no response.
▷ make no reply/response/answer /meɪk ˌnəʊ rɪˈplaɪ, rɪˈspɒns, ˈɑːnsəʳǁ-rɪˈspɑːns, -ˈæn-/ [verb phrase]
to deliberately remain silent when someone asks you a question or talks to you :
▪ I greeted Minna, but she made no reply.
▪ Alan tried to start a conversation, but when Lockwood made no response, he gave up.
8. the answer to a question in a test, competition etc
▷ answer /ˈɑːnsəʳǁˈæn-/ [countable noun]
an answer to a question in a test or competition :
▪ Write your answers on the form and send it to this address.
the answer
the correct answer
▪ And the answer is ... Budapest!
answer to
▪ What’s the answer to question 4?
give your answer
▪ Think carefully before you give the answer.
the right/wrong answer
▪ The first person to call with the right answer will win 10 CDs of their choice.
▷ result /rɪˈzʌlt/ [countable noun]
an answer that you have found after calculating or doing tests :
▪ I’ve tried three different ways of adding these figures and each time I get a different result.
▪ We have completed our experiments and we are now analyzing the results.
▪ The results of our accountant’s calculations show that we are on the verge of bankruptcy.
▷ solution /səˈluːʃ ə n/ [countable noun]
the correct answer to a complicated problem in a test or competition :
▪ It was a difficult equation, but it took her only five minutes to work out the solution.
solution to
▪ The solution to this week’s puzzle will be published in next week’s magazine.
9. to give an answer to a question in a test, competition etc
▷ answer /ˈɑːnsəʳǁˈæn-/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
answer a question
▪ You have 20 minutes to answer all the questions.
answer correctly
▪ If you answer correctly, you could win a video camera.
10. to find or calculate the answer to a question
▷ solve /sɒlvǁsɑːlv, sɔːlv/ [transitive verb]
to find the correct answer to a question, problem, or sum by thinking about it carefully or doing calculations :
▪ I’m never going to solve this puzzle - it’s impossible.
▪ According to Greek legend, it was Oedipus who solved the riddle of the Sphinx.
▷ work out/figure out /ˌwɜːʳk ˈaʊt, ˌfɪgər ˈaʊtǁˌfɪgjər-/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to find the answer, usually a number or amount, to a calculation :
work/figure something out
▪ It’s all right, I don’t need a calculator. I can work it out in my head.
▪ I’m sure they owe me more money than that - I’ll have to sit down and figure it out.
work out/figure out something
▪ Using a calculator, work out the answers to the following questions.