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

See the Dictionary Definition 

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ask (for)
Verb
  • Taft was seeking its eighth City title and first since winning Division II in 2019.
    Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
  • The Department of Education couldn’t be reached for comment despite a request seeking information about how the new legislation would be enforced.
    Megan Vaz, Sun Sentinel, 30 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Starmer hand-delivered the invitation from the king in the Oval Office five weeks after the Republican president returned to office, in a very public attempt to woo the president.
    ABC News, ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
  • First, there are the big-name athletes to find and woo into competing on the streets of the UK’s capital, then the pace-makers, the notable debutants, and the tantalising head-to-heads to create; there’s the hotel bookings, the visas, the flights, the prize money and even bonuses to ponder over.
    Liam Tharme, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Storms' former spouse, who first filed the restraining order in December, is also requesting that the Disney Channel alum undergo a mental health evaluation, People reports.
    Edward Segarra, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
  • Neither the defense nor the prosecution requested such an order; Dawkins issued it on her own initiative.
    Jamie Kalven, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The Montana Dinosaur Center, Great Plains Dinosaur Museum and Carter County Museum invite kids and adults to uncover dinosaur fossils alongside paleontologists and staff through hands-on field experiences.
    Alex Temblador, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2026
  • This comes after reports that Kravitz has been invited to Swift’s wedding to NFL superstar Travis Kelce—while her fiancé was notably excluded from the guest list.
    Allison DeGrushe, StyleCaster, 30 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Rybochkin said that the unit’s chief engineer had ordered it.
    Lizzie Johnson, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
  • He was ordered held without bail at his arraignment Saturday at Manhattan Criminal Court.
    Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 25 Apr. 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 1 May. 2026.

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