Account For (Verb)

Meaning ¹

Give reasons for; "Can you account for all these absences?".

Classification

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing.

Examples

• The company's poor customer service cannot account for the massive decline in sales last quarter.
• You've been away from work for three weeks, can you account for each of these days.
• The students who cheated on the test were asked to account for their actions in front of the whole class.
• She could not account for the missing funds and was under investigation.
• The manager was unable to account for the team's dismal performance during the playoffs.

Hypernyms

• Explicate

Meaning ²

Be the reason or explanation for; "The recession accounts for the slow retail business".

Classification

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations.

Examples

• The increase in demand accounts for the recent price hike in housing.
• Her skills and experience account for her rapid promotion to a management role.
• The weather conditions accounted for the low attendance at the outdoor event.
• The unique ingredients and careful preparation account for the distinct flavor of the dish.
• Poor funding accounts for the lack of progress in the research project.