ask (for)

Definition of ask (for)next
1
2
as in to woo
to act so as to make (something) more likely you are asking for trouble if you invite her ex to the wedding

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
as in to request
to give a request or demand for the surgeon asked for the scalpel

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ask (for)
Verb
  • The payouts combine unpaid overtime, reimbursement for housing illegally deducted from their pay and hefty damages personally sought by investigating Prosecutor Paolo Storari, Brigatti said.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 8 Oct. 2026
  • When a lobbyist for former Nigerian Vice President Atiku Abubakar — an electoral opponent of Tinubu — filed an amicus brief, Greenspan sought to make clear that the two were not working together.
    — Adrian Elimian, semafor.com, 8 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • For years now, hotels have been spending more and more on signature fragrances to woo and hook guests.
    — Christopher Reynolds, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
  • When asked who might be the greatest thinker in America, the boy immediately suggests Professor Jacob Barnhardt (Sam Jaffe), an Albert Einstein analogue who's wooed by Klaatu's solutions to a particularly tricksy math equation.
    — Richard Edwards, Space.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • No payment is requested or exchanged at any point during the selection, evaluation or ranking process; inclusion is based solely on the methodology.
    — Kelli Grant, CFP®,Riley de León, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Others, like Ashra, are requested in advance for Shirodhara therapy, while many guests book Bernie for acupuncture and cupping.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Irish cinematographer Seamus McGarvey, who later became known for the likes of Atonement, The Hours, Nocturnal Animals and The Greatest Showman, was actually invited by Jarman to shoot behind the scenes.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Unlike Lonely People with Power, which featured Interpol’s Paul Banks and Boy Harsher’s Jae Matthews, At Work in the Fields of the Bomb doesn’t invite any guests.
    — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 9 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Four years ago, Tennessee's governor ordered another independent review into capital punishment after abruptly stopping the April 2022 execution of Oscar Smith.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The pool was reportedly ordered to remain closed until further inspection, according to the complaint.
    — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Ask (for).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ask%20%28for%29. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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