1
as in responding
to speak or write in reaction to a question or to another reaction
didn't answer right away when the detective asked him where he'd been for the last three hours
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in corresponding
to be in agreement on every point
sorry, I haven't seen anyone answering to that description
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in fulfilling
to do what is required by the terms of
I don't have a box cutter as such, but will this knife answer the purpose?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in solving
to find an answer for through reasoning
try to answer this riddle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of answering
The Anti-Weaponization Fund being set up in the Department of Justice will have a five-person board answering only to the attorney general, who is now Trump’s former personal criminal defense lawyer Todd Blanche in an acting capacity.
—
The Orlando Sentinel, 23 May 2026
According to Sarnoff, the show's producers always wanted the characters to find each other again and prioritized that over answering questions.
—Julie Tremaine, PEOPLE, 23 May 2026
Your audience is asking questions nobody in your space is answering directly.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026
The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum on Thursday hosted a three-part panel discussion, bringing together space program officials, museum curators, an archeologist, and an astronaut to begin answering the why, what, and how the ISS might be saved.
—ArsTechnica, 22 May 2026
Actually, that’s not even answering the question.
—Maria Bamford, Vulture, 22 May 2026
In a February interview with Rolling Stone, Eddie Vedder evaded directly answering the question.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 22 May 2026
One the Philadelphia Phillies slugger isn't particularly interested in answering.
—CBS News, 16 May 2026
On the one hand, the men in charge of teams are held to account at least twice a week for nine months, rain or shine, albeit answering different versions of the same question a lot of the time.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 16 May 2026
The Orlando Sentinel, 23 May 2026
According to Sarnoff, the show's producers always wanted the characters to find each other again and prioritized that over answering questions.
—Julie Tremaine, PEOPLE, 23 May 2026
Your audience is asking questions nobody in your space is answering directly.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026
The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum on Thursday hosted a three-part panel discussion, bringing together space program officials, museum curators, an archeologist, and an astronaut to begin answering the why, what, and how the ISS might be saved.
—ArsTechnica, 22 May 2026
Actually, that’s not even answering the question.
—Maria Bamford, Vulture, 22 May 2026
In a February interview with Rolling Stone, Eddie Vedder evaded directly answering the question.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 22 May 2026
One the Philadelphia Phillies slugger isn't particularly interested in answering.
—CBS News, 16 May 2026
On the one hand, the men in charge of teams are held to account at least twice a week for nine months, rain or shine, albeit answering different versions of the same question a lot of the time.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 16 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for answering
Verb
-
An officer responding to a call pulled Blessing over around the corner from Donut Plus on Erringer Road.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
28 May 2026
-
Firefighters were responding to a report of a gas leak when an explosion occurred at the apartment complex, according to Dallas Fire Rescue Deputy Chief Mark Berry.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
28 May 2026
Verb
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Losi added that Kalshi reached out to his team asking Dune to take full responsibility for the decision to pull the datasets corresponding to parlay losses from public view.—
Dan Bernstein,
Sportico.com,
26 May 2026
-
To the extent that interest rates move without a corresponding change in inflation expectations, TIPS holders remain exposed to that duration, or interest rate, risk.—
Bill Stone,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2026
Verb
-
All of these rely entirely on Starship fulfilling its promise of rapid, low-cost, reusable launch.—
Eric Berger,
ArsTechnica,
22 May 2026
-
But there is a difference between building a fulfilling career and developing one designed to impress strangers.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
As a former police officer my duties included investigating and solving tough problems to improve people’s day-to-day lives.—
Mercury News Editorial Board,
Mercury News,
26 May 2026
-
Now neither person is solving the problem.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
That doesn’t just mean being available for strategy phone calls or instantly replying on email.—
Rashi Shrivastava,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
-
The internet exploded with influencers posting commentary, users replying in the comment section of Cooper's post and even brands getting in on the drama.—
Tabitha Parent,
PEOPLE,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Indeed, there have been over 100 books published on HIV/AIDS since 2020, coinciding with the start of the COVID pandemic.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 May 2026
-
Entertainment Weekly can exclusively announce that Brooks is rejoining the cast of the CBS daytime drama, with his first episode back coinciding with his birthday on May 27.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 May 2026
Verb
-
Taken together, the two measures highlight a growing tension in a state that prides itself on stewardship of the environment, as policymakers aim to protect threatened or endangered animals while also keeping people, pets and livestock safe.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
29 May 2026
-
Studies found little real difference, but the new patent was an effective tool for keeping generics at bay and continuing to collect monopoly profits.—
Wayne T Brough,
Oc Register,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Returning to the treacherous halls of Reagan High, Jawbreaker The Musical is described as a high-gloss teen thriller that follows the rise—and unraveling—of a ruthless clique of teenage girls whose reign of power takes a deadly turn.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
20 May 2026
-
This is a market recalibrating—not unraveling.—
Lee Kiser,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Answering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/answering. Accessed 30 May. 2026.
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