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

When coupled with Millennials, the two generations will account for 39% of all retail spending by 2030 according to buy now, pay later provider Clearpay’s report on next-generation shoppers. —Catherine Erdly, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024

Israel's ongoing air and ground offensive has claimed the lives of more than 45,200 Palestinians, according to figures from Gaza's Health Ministry, which reports that women and children account for over half of the fatalities. —Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024

The illness is often associated with cruise ships, but those account for 1% of all outbreaks reported. —Nathan Diller, USA TODAY, 20 Dec. 2024

Citigroup Inc expects Pop Mart’s global revenue to account for half of total sales next year as the company expands to North America and Europe. —Lionel Lim, Fortune Asia, 20 Dec. 2024