does for

phrase

present tense third-person singular of do for, chiefly British
1
as in nurses
to attend to the needs and comforts of I trust him to do for my kids while I am at work.

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in kills
to deprive of life The long journey on foot nearly did for her.

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of does for Others hold cultural and spiritual significance, as the condor does for the Yurok Tribe in California. — David Ginsburg, The Conversation, 20 Oct. 2026 What else testosterone does for the brain The hormone does not just come from the brain. — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026 What salicylic acid does for your skin The exfoliating, keratolytic and anti-inflammatory effects add up to a long list of benefits, according to Very Well Health. — Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for does for
  1. looks after
  2. does away with
Phrase
  • Fox is back in Betsey Johnson looks after cohosting the brand’s Shopify pop-up launch last year and then receiving the Betsey Johnson Iconoclast Award from Johnson at the 2026 ACE Awards.
    — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Yet Perrette and Decker’s meaty roles still leave gaps – slightly lower down the international chain, questions remain over how territories are divided up and who looks after what.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of looks after
Phrase
  • The Inkanva does away with all that for a clean look in any room.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Only here, that company is speaker maker L-Acoustics, and the project does away with headsets entirely — redefining immersive LBE around spatial sound.
    — Ben Croll, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of does away with

Browse Nearby Words

does down
does for
does in
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Does for.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/does%20for. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All