to warn for

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "to warn for" is not correct in standard written English.
The correct expression would typically be "to warn about" or "to warn of." Example: "The meteorologist warned about the approaching storm."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

10 human-written examples

Karen Kosiba, a tornado researcher at the Center for Severe Weather Research in Boulder, Colo., said she was "surprised" by the declines in tornado warning performance and agreed efforts to try to warn for the fickle QLCS tornadoes could be contributing.

The Washington Post

"They are impossible or difficult to warn for, because they can spin up within five minutes," he said.

The Washington Post

The circulations that produce them are often smaller and shorter-lived than in the storms on the Great Plains and so are harder to detect and to warn for, though the tornadoes they spawn can be just as dangerous.

Huffington Post

The main function of a computer supported outbreak detection system is to warn for potential outbreaks.

BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making

Considering this aspect we want to warn for generalisations even in Belgium.

BMC Family Practice

Early diagnosis is important to warn for weaning failure, to guide progressive ambulation and to predict outcome.

Critical Care

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

50 human-written examples

Alarms were suggested - for example, to warn of prolonged intravenous line duration or the end of a course of antibiotic therapy.

Critical Care

"That tsunami stone was a way to warn descendants for the next 100 years that another tsunami will definitely come," he said.

The New York Times

Congressional investigators have accused the company of neglecting to warn customers for more than 10 years about faulty ignition switches capable of disabling airbags in Chevrolet Cobalt and Saturn Ion vehicles.

The Guardian - Business

Now Staines is about to warn Perry for defaming him publicly.

TechCrunch

However, the umpires were right to warn him for time-wasting after he attempted a switch-hit.

BBC

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using the phrase "to warn for" in formal writing. Opt for more common and grammatically correct alternatives like "to warn about" or "to warn of".

Common error

Many writers mistakenly use "for" after "warn" due to its association with purpose. Remember that "warn" typically takes "about" or "of" to indicate the subject of the warning.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "to warn for" functions as a prepositional phrase where 'warn' is the verb, 'to' is an infinitive marker and 'for' acts as a preposition, but as Ludwig AI points out, this is not standard English. Its intended function is to express the act of alerting someone regarding a specific reason or situation.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

33%

News & Media

33%

Wiki

17%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "to warn for" appears in some contexts, it is generally considered grammatically incorrect in standard English. As Ludwig AI states, it’s advisable to use more accepted alternatives like "to warn about" or "to warn of". The contexts where "to warn for" appears range from scientific articles to news reports. Given its non-standard nature, exercise caution when using this phrase, opting for clearer and more conventional alternatives to ensure effective communication. While it might be understood in certain specific contexts, it lacks the broad acceptance required for formal writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

to warn about

Uses the preposition "about", which is the most common and grammatically correct alternative.

to warn of

Uses the preposition "of", another grammatically correct and widely accepted alternative.

to alert to

Employs the verb "alert" instead of "warn", maintaining a formal tone.

to caution against

Uses "caution" and specifies what action to avoid.

to advise about

Replaces "warn" with "advise", focusing on guidance rather than imminent danger.

to notify of

Employs "notify", suggesting a formal announcement of a potential issue.

to give notice of

Uses a more formal phrasing with "give notice", indicating a formal communication.

to forewarn about

Adds emphasis with "forewarn", highlighting the advance nature of the warning.

to flag for attention

More business-oriented, indicating that you need to call the attention to something.

to raise awareness of

Focuses on increasing general understanding of the issue.

FAQs

Is it grammatically correct to say "to warn for"?

The phrase "to warn for" is not considered grammatically correct in standard English. It's more appropriate to use phrases like "to warn about" or "to warn of".

What are some alternatives to "to warn for"?

Better alternatives include "to warn about", "to warn of", "to alert to", or "to caution against", depending on the specific context.

When is it acceptable to use "to warn for"?

While some instances of "to warn for" appear in various texts, they are generally considered non-standard. It's best to avoid this phrase in formal writing. If you want to take this risk be sure the expression is used and well understood in your specific context.

What's the difference between "to warn about" and "to warn for"?

"To warn about" is a grammatically correct construction that indicates the subject of the warning. "To warn for" is generally considered incorrect and should be avoided in favor of other options.