Transitive verb "account for"

[Rich7]

Test No. incompl/inter-11 "Accounts", question 10

However hard I try, I find it impossible to account ......... this missing sum of money.

(a) with
(b) to
(c) for
(d) by

Test No. incompl/inter-11 "Accounts", answer 10

However hard I try, I find it impossible to account for this missing sum of money.

Correct answer: (c) for

Your answer was: correct
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find?

[Alan]

What is your question?
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English as a Second Language
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[Rich7]

what I mean is: find the missing sum?
in other words: account for= find..?

[Yo]

yes,..or it also means make up for that money, compensate if you will.

[Alan]

Here it means explain what has happened to it.
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English as a Foreign Language
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[svet]

Does the phrase "to account for" always mean "to explain what happened" or is it just in this special case?

[Mister Micawber]

'
Hi Svet.

account for (transitive verb)

1. explain something: to provide an explanation for something
And how do you account for his behavior?

2. be responsible for something: to be responsible for something or be an important factor in something
Export sales account for at least half of our total business.
.
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