to answer to

"to have the characteristics described"

The police had several suspects on their files, all of whom answered to the description given by the witnesses. 
   

    1 answer   answers   answering   answered  

When you answer someone who has asked you something, you say something back to them.

   I knew Ben was lying when he answered me.

   Just answer the question.

   He paused  before answering.

   `When?' asked Alba, `Tonight', answered Tom.

   Williams answered that he had no specific proposals yet.

VB  

= reply, respond  

    2 answer   answers  

An answer is something that you say when you answer someone.

   Without waiting for an answer, he turned and went in through the door.

   I don't quite know what to say in answer to your question.

N-COUNT: also in N to n  

= reply, response  

    3 answer  

If you say that someone will not take no for an answer, you mean that they go on trying to make you agree to something even after you have refused.

   She is tough, unwilling to take no for an answer.

   He would never take no for an answer.

PHR: with brd-neg  

    4 answer   answers   answering   answered  

If you answer a letter or advertisement, you write to the person who wrote it.

   Did he answer your letter?.

   She answered an advert for a job as a cook.

VB  

= reply to  

    5 answer   answers  

An answer is a letter that you write to someone who has written to you.

   I wrote to him but I never had an answer back.

   She wrote to Roosevelt's secretary in answer to his letter of the day before.

N-COUNT: also in N to n  

= reply, response  

    6 answer   answers   answering   answered  

When you answer the telephone, you pick it up when it rings. When you answer the door, you open it when you hear a knock or the bell.

   She answered her phone on the first ring.

   A middle-aged woman answered the door.

VB  

    + answer   answers  

Also a noun.

   I knocked at the front door and there was no answer.

N-COUNT: usu sing  

    7 answer   answers  

An answer to a problem is a solution to it.

   There are no easy answers to the problems facing the economy.

   Prison is not the answer for most young offenders.

   Legislation is only part of the answer.

N-COUNT: oft N to n  

    8 answer   answers  

Someone's answer to a question in a test or quiz is what they write or say in an attempt to give the facts that are asked for. The answer to a question is the fact that was asked for.

   Simply marking an answer wrong will not help the pupil to get future examples correct.

   Below are printed the answers to the Brain of Soccer 1993 quiz.

N-COUNT: oft N to n  

    9 answer   answers   answering   answered  

When you answer a question in a test or quiz, you write or say something in an attempt to give the facts that are asked for.

   To obtain her degree, she answered 81 questions over 10 papers.

VB  

    10 answer   answers  

Your answer to something that someone has said or done is what you say or do in response to it or in defence of yourself.

   In answer to speculation that she wouldn't finish the race, she boldly declared her intention of winning it.

N-COUNT: also in N to n  

= reply, response  

    11 answer   answers   answering   answered  

If you answer something that someone has said or done, you respond to it.

   He answered her smile with one of his own.

   That statement seemed designed to answer criticism of allied bombing missions.

VB  

= counter  

    12 answer  

If you say that something is a place's answer to a famous thing, you mean that the first thing is the equivalent of the second in that place. (JOURNALISM)

   Cachaca is Brazil's answer to tequila.

N-SING: poss N to n  

    13 answer   answers   answering   answered  

If something answers a need or purpose, it satisfies it, because it has the right qualities.

   We must ensure we answer real needs

VB  

= satisfy  

    14 answer   answers   answering   answered  

If someone or something answers a particular description or answers to it, they have the characteristics described.

   Two men answering the description of the suspects tried to enter Switzerland.

   The Japanese never built any aircraft remotely answering to this description.

VB  

= fit  

(c) HarperCollins Publishers.