became answerable to

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "became answerable to" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that someone has taken on responsibility or accountability to another person or entity. Example: "After the restructuring, the manager became answerable to the new CEO for all departmental decisions."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

Departments also became answerable to citizens.

The Economist

Sustainability became answerable to big business.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

As Twitter prepares to IPO, and becomes answerable to a new influx of investors, it's inevitable that it's going to have to find more and more ways to make its service more mainstream.

TechCrunch

At the same time, he warned the new system of 20,000 schools enjoying freedoms might unwittingly lead to centralisation as they became answerable only to Whitehall.

The Guardian

They were rewarded by a rise in rank and became answerable for their actions to the tsar alone.

Encyclopedia Britannica

An example of this is the academy programme, whereby schools become answerable only to central government and not to locally elected representatives.

The Guardian

"Because he succeeded in becoming an independent production where everybody has become answerable only to himself, the chain of command had been reduced to two people – Russell and Lesley," he added.

The Guardian

Once you're able to index videos, pictures and live content in the same way as text, that "why" question that Rabkin hinted at starts to become answerable.

TechCrunch

The question of how much genetic differentiation occurs during speciation has become answerable only with the relatively recent development of appropriate methods for comparing genes of different species.

Encyclopedia Britannica

As genome sequences for Latrodectus and related theridiid species become available, these questions regarding the evolutionary origin of latrotoxins may become answerable.

BMC Genomics

Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi, the son of Sonia Gandhi, who leads the governing Indian National Congress Party, broke his conspicuous silence on the issue by delivering a parliamentary address in which he recommended that any new anticorruption agency become a constitutional body answerable to Parliament.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "became answerable to" when you want to emphasize a transition in accountability or responsibility. Ensure the context clearly identifies to whom or what the subject is now accountable.

Common error

Avoid using "became answerable to" when the accountability was not a result of a change or shift. Instead, use "is answerable to" if the accountability is a pre-existing condition.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "became answerable to" functions as a verb phrase indicating a transition in responsibility or accountability. It connects a subject with the entity to which it is now obligated. As confirmed by Ludwig, the phrase is grammatically correct and usable.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Encyclopedias

20%

Science

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "became answerable to" is a grammatically sound and usable expression that signifies a transition in responsibility or accountability. Ludwig confirms its correctness. While its usage is not extremely common, it appears across various contexts, particularly in news, encyclopedias, and scientific publications. Related phrases like "became accountable to" or "became responsible to" offer similar meanings. Remember to use the phrase when emphasizing a shift in obligation and to avoid implying voluntary action when it's not the case.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

became accountable to

Replaces "answerable" with "accountable", emphasizing the obligation to justify actions and decisions.

became responsible to

Substitutes "answerable" with "responsible", highlighting the duty to manage something or someone.

was made accountable to

Highlights the action of being made accountable, rather than a state of being.

was now accountable to

Adds "now" to emphasize a change in accountability.

was rendered responsible to

Emphasizes the process of being made responsible.

became liable to

Replaces "answerable" with "liable", indicating legal or financial responsibility.

was now responsible to

Adds "now" to emphasize a change in responsibility.

became subject to

Focuses on being under the authority or control of someone or something.

had to answer to

Changes the structure to emphasize the obligation to respond or explain.

was put under the responsibility of

Shifts the focus to the act of assigning responsibility.

FAQs

How can I use "became answerable to" in a sentence?

You can use "became answerable to" to indicate that someone or something has taken on responsibility or accountability to another entity. For instance: "After the merger, the department became answerable to the new CEO."

What's a formal alternative to "became answerable to"?

A more formal alternative would be "became accountable to", which emphasizes the obligation to justify actions and decisions to a higher authority.

Is there a legal connotation to "became answerable to"?

While not strictly a legal term, "became answerable to" can imply legal obligations depending on the context. "Became liable to" is a more direct legal alternative.

What's the difference between "became answerable to" and "is answerable to"?

"Became answerable to" implies a change or transition in accountability, whereas "is answerable to" describes a current state of accountability. For example, 'The team became answerable to the board after the restructuring,' versus 'The CEO is answerable to the shareholders'.