answer
[verb]
Synonyms:
- reply, explain, react, resolve, respond, retort, return, solve
[noun]
Synonyms:
- reply, comeback, defence, explanation, reaction, rejoinder, response, retort, return, riposte, solution

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Contrasted words: inquiry, interrogation, query, question, quiz, ask, inquire, interrogate
Related Idioms: come back (at), make reply (to)
Related Words: comment, observation, remark, defense, justification, rebuttal, refutation, replication, acknowledge, recognize, disprove, rebut, refute, countercharge, recriminate

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English Thesaurus: answer, reply, response, retort, comeback, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. an‧swer¹ S1 W1 /ˈɑːnsə $ ˈænsər/ noun
[Language: Old English; Origin: andswaru]

1. REPLY [uncountable and countable] something you say when you reply to a question that someone has asked you Synonym : response:
You don’t have to give them an answer now.
Every time I ask him about it, I get a different answer.
answer to
These are important questions, and we want answers to them.
She’s still waiting for an answer from the school.
The honest answer was that I didn’t know.
He was never able to get a straight answer about why it happened.
It’s impossible for me to give you a definite answer at this time.
The short answer is that it can’t be done.
In answer to your question, yes, you can go.
If it’s money you want, the answer is no!

2. TEST/COMPETITION ETC [countable] something that you write or say in reply to a question in a test or competition
answer to
What was the answer to question 4?
the right/wrong/correct/incorrect answer
Score two points for each correct answer.

3. INVITATION/LETTER ETC [countable] a written reply to a letter, invitation, advertisement etc
answer to
Did you ever get an answer to your letter?

4. PROBLEM [countable] a way of dealing with a problem Synonym : solution
simple/easy/obvious answer
There is no simple answer.
answer to
The police do not have an answer to rising crime.
Some people think cars should be banned from the city, but I don’t think that’s the answer.
be the answer to sb’s problems/worries etc
If he could get a job it’d be the answer to all his worries.

5. ON THE PHONE [singular, uncountable usually in negative] if you get an answer when you call someone on the phone, they pick up the phone and talk to you:
I tried calling him all day but couldn’t get an answer.

6. AT THE DOOR [singular, uncountable usually in negative] if you get an answer when you knock on a door, someone opens it and talks to you:
I tried knocking on her door, but there was no answer.

7. have/know all the answers informal to be very sure that you know everything about a situation, especially when you do not:
He acts like he has all the answers.

8. sb’s answer to something written someone or something that is considered to be just as good as a more famous person or thing:
The Space Needle is Seattle’s answer to the Eiffel Tower.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. answer² S1 W2 verb

1. REPLY [intransitive and transitive] to say something to someone as a reply when they have asked you a question, made a suggestion etc:
She thought for a moment before answering.
He still hadn’t answered my question.
‘Why don’t you just leave?’ ‘I’d like to,’ she answered, ‘but I have nowhere else to go.’
answer (that)
When questioned, Hughes answered that he knew nothing about the robbery.
How much was it? Come on, answer me.

2. TEST [intransitive and transitive] to write or say the answer to a question in a test or competition:
Answer as many questions as possible in the time provided.

3. answer the phone/a call/the door to pick up the telephone and speak when it rings or open the door when someone knocks or rings the bell

4. LETTER [transitive] if you answer a letter or advertisement, you write a letter to the person who has written it:
Simon got the job by answering an advert in the paper.

5. answer criticism/charges/accusations etc to explain why you did something when people are criticizing you – used in news reports:
How do you answer the criticism that your government has done nothing to help the homeless?

6. REACT TO SOMETHING [intransitive and transitive] to do something as a reaction to criticism or an attack Synonym : respond:
The army answered by firing into the crowd.

7. DEAL WITH A PROBLEM [transitive] to be a way of dealing with or solving a problem:
‘You can borrow my car if you like.’ ‘Well, that answers one problem.’

8. answer a need to provide something that is needed:
Our transportation system is designed to answer the needs of the city’s commuters.

9. answer a description if someone answers a description, they match that description:
A man answering the police’s description was seen entering the building.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

answer
noun
I. sth that you say/write/do as a reply
ADJ. brief, quick, short The short answer to your query is that he has acted completely illegally.
blunt, direct, straight I expect a straight answer to a straight question.
detailed, full, precise | immediate | final | affirmative, positive | negative | honest, reasonable, sensible | dusty (= unsatisfactory) I complained to the water company and received a very dusty answer.
VERB + ANSWER get, have, receive Did you ever get an answer to your letter?
demand | wait for | give sb, offer Please give her your answer, so she can make the necessary arrangements. She repeated her question, but he offered no answer.
guess, know I think you can guess the answer?they won't lend us the money.
ANSWER + VERB come The answer came in a postcard she sent from Devon.
PREP. in ~ to In answer to your enquiries, I can only say that we did not find her work of a satisfactory standard.
~ to her answer to his question

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

answer
II. solution to a problem
ADJ. easy, instant, ready, simple | clear, clear-cut, obvious The obvious answer would be to cancel the party.
logical, reasonable, sensible | adequate, real, satisfactory | complete, convincing, definitive, effective, good, long-term, perfect | partial
VERB + ANSWER have, know We are aware of this problem, but we do not have the answer.
look for, seek | arrive at, come up with, find We have arrived at an answer which we hope will satisfy everyone.
give sb, offer, provide If you want to save time, this machine will provide the answer.
PREP. ~ to There is no easy answer to the problem.
PHRASES have/know all the answers He's so arrogant, he thinks he knows all the answers.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

answer
III. to questions in a test
ADJ. acceptable, appropriate, correct, right | incorrect, wrong | written This part of the exam requires a written answer.
VERB + ANSWER give | guess It's not worth guessing the answer, as you may lose marks.
know | print, write Please print the answers to questions 1 to 9.
PREP. ~ to Do you know the answer to the question?

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

answer
verb
ADV. affirmatively, in the affirmative She answered in the affirmative.
in the negative, negatively | honestly, truthfully He tried to answer as honestly as he could.
correctly | fully What he told me does not fully answer the question of what his motives were.
satisfactorily | evasively | coldly, curtly | calmly | quietly, softly

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

answer

an honest/straight answer
The honest answer is that I don’t know.
a definite answer (=that says yes or no definitely)
Can you give me a definite answer tomorrow?
a satisfactory answer
I didn’t get a satisfactory answer from the company.
give somebody an answer
I’ll give you an answer tomorrow.
get/receive an answer
She wrote to him but she never got an answer.
wait for an answer
Kate was looking at me, waiting for an answer.
think of an answer
She couldn’t think of a suitable answer to his question.
the short answer is ... (=used when giving a simple, honest, or direct answer to a difficult question)
‘How does homeopathy work?’ ‘The short answer to this question is that we do not know how homeopathic remedies work.’
the right/wrong answer
Do you know the right answer to this question?
the correct/incorrect answer
You get 5 points for each correct answer.
know the answer
Put up your hand if you know the answer.
guess the answer
If you don’t know the answer, try guessing it.
write the answer
Do we write the answers in the exercise book, Sir?
the simple/easy answer
There are a lot of problems and no simple answers.
the obvious answer
The obvious answer is to raise taxes, but that would be unpopular.
the perfect answer
I think I have the perfect answer to the problem.
the complete answer
A loan, however, is not the complete answer to the company’s problems.
the long-term answer
He believes hydrogen is the long-term answer to our growing energy crisis.
a short-term answer
Employing overseas nurses is only a short-term answer to the shortage.
have an answer
Doctors are supposed to have all the answers.
find an answer
The aim is to find a long-term answer to poverty.
come up with an answer (=find a way of dealing with a problem)
The government is struggling to come up with answers to our economic problems.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

answer
I.
verb
1.
BAD: It has taken them almost two months to answer to my letter.
GOOD: It has taken them almost two months to answer my letter.
BAD: I couldn't answer to the last two questions.
GOOD: I couldn't answer the last two questions.
BAD: My job involves cooking, cleaning and answering to the door bell.
GOOD: My job involves cooking, cleaning and answering the door bell.

Usage Note:
answer sb/sth (WITHOUT to ): 'Have you answered their letter yet?'
Note that answer also has less common meanings where to is necessary: 'Anyone who upsets you will have me to answer to.' 'The dog answers to the name of Zak.'

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2.
BAD: I rang the number you gave me but nobody answered me.
GOOD: I rang the number you gave me but nobody answered.
BAD: I called her name but nobody answered me.
GOOD: I called her name but nobody answered.

Usage Note:
Do not use an object with answer unless this adds new meaning to the sentence (meaning which is not obvious from the rest of the sentence). Compare: 'He asked her for an explanation but she didn't answer.' 'I'd like to speak to him but he refuses to answer the phone.' In the first sentence the object 'him' is understood and there is no need to mention it.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

answer
II.
noun
BAD: They still can't find an answer for this problem.
GOOD: They still can't find an answer to this problem.

Usage Note:
an answer to a problem or question (NOT for ): 'The answer to the second question is Abraham Lincoln.'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

answer something you say when someone asks you a question or speaks to you:
I asked if he wanted to come, but I didn’t get an answer.
If you’re asking me for money, the answer’s no!
reply an answer. Used especially in written English to report what someone said:
She asked how he felt, and received the reply, ‘Awful!’
‘Finished now?’ ‘No,' came the reply.
response an answer that clearly shows your reaction to a question, suggestion etc:
Wagner’s responses showed that he had thought carefully about the issues.
‘Sure. Why not?’ was his response to most of Billie’s suggestions.
retort written an angry answer given when someone has annoyed you or criticized you:
Isabelle began an angry retort and then stopped herself.
comeback a quick answer that is clever, funny, or rude:
He walked out before I could think of a snappy comeback.
riposte formal a quick and clever answer:
Anna produced the perfect riposte.
rejoinder formal a quick answer, especially a clever or rude one:
If he confronts them, he’ll run the risk of a sharp rejoinder.
respond formal to answer someone:
How do you respond to the allegation that you deliberately deceived your employers?
give somebody an answer to answer someone by telling them what you have decided or giving them a piece of information they asked for:
He asked me to marry him, but I didn’t give him an answer straight away.
get back to somebody 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:
She’s promised to get back to me as soon as she hears any more news from the hospital.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

answer to say something to someone when they have asked you a question or spoken to you:
You don’t have to answer the question if you don’t want to.
I said hello to her, but she didn’t answer.
reply to answer someone. Used especially in written English to report what someone said:
‘I’m so sorry,’ he replied.
We asked Jane to help, but she replied that she was too busy.
respond formal to answer someone:
How do you respond to the allegation that you deliberately deceived your employers?
give somebody an answer to answer someone by telling them what you have decided or giving them a piece of information they asked for:
He asked me to marry him, but I didn’t give him an answer straight away.
get back to somebody 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:
She’s promised to get back to me as soon as she hears any more news from the hospital.
retort 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.
response an answer that clearly shows your reaction to a question, suggestion etc:
Wagner’s responses showed that he had thought carefully about the issues.
‘Sure. Why not?’ was his response to most of Billie’s suggestions.
comeback a quick answer that is clever, funny, or rude:
He walked out before I could think of a snappy comeback.
riposte formal a quick and clever answer:
Anna produced the perfect riposte.
rejoinder formal a quick answer, especially a clever or rude one:
If he confronts them, he’ll run the risk of a sharp rejoinder.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

answer
(someone's) answer to (someone/something)
someone or something that is just as good as a more famous person or thing in the place where it comes from.
The Kennedy clan was America's answer to the royal families of Europe.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

answer something
(someone's) answer to (someone/something)
someone or something that is just as good as a more famous person or thing in the place where it comes from.
The Kennedy clan was America's answer to the royal families of Europe.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲