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
Immigrants account for 28% of care workers in long-term care settings, according to the nonprofit health policy organization KFF.
—
Bailey Schulz, USA Today, 14 June 2025
Transportation is the leading cause of greenhouse gas emissions, and cars and trucks account for 80% of those transportation emissions.
—Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 13 June 2025
Memory systems account for a significant portion of a data center’s energy consumption, consuming between 25% and 40% of the total power.
—Steven Woo, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
But how does that account for Ramesh sitting near the front of the plane and being the sole survivor?
—Rebecca Schneid, Time, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for account for (someone or something)
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Bailey Schulz, USA Today, 14 June 2025
Transportation is the leading cause of greenhouse gas emissions, and cars and trucks account for 80% of those transportation emissions.
—Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 13 June 2025
Memory systems account for a significant portion of a data center’s energy consumption, consuming between 25% and 40% of the total power.
—Steven Woo, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
But how does that account for Ramesh sitting near the front of the plane and being the sole survivor?
—Rebecca Schneid, Time, 13 June 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 18 Jun. 2025.
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