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to field

to field

37 5.9
To answer questions or problems calmly and skillfully
  • verb
  • /fiːld/
: responder
  • During the press conference, he was able to field challenging questions from reporters with ease.
  • field questions
  • field phone calls

Like, what do you think is the strongest argument that you've had to field against veganism?

Examples

  • A Washington reporter speaks to the 200 students for fifteen minutes and fields questions for forty-five minutes.

    Academic text (1993)
  • The format will be after she speaks, she will field a few questions.

  • So if you are in in one of the chat rooms, he will be there to to field your question for us.

  • But I could field a couple of queries.

  • I'm happy to field all questions on their behalf.

  • "More or less," he says, crossing his arms as he fields my questions: "How often should we patrol?"

    Fiction book (2002)
  • Look, my office is fielding complaints about plans for this place on a daily basis, more or less.

  • After reading them all, I visited the classes, added information and insight, and fielded questions.

    Academic text (2014)
  • Her flexibility is demonstrated quite often, as she fields student and staff needs on a minute-by-minute basis.

    Academic text (2011)
  • At the end of each talk, the speakers fielded often-pointed questions from other campers and staff members.

    Academic text (1993)

Antonyms

∞ 1.0

Choose not to pay attention to someone or something

29 3.9

To avoid doing something you should do, for example a duty or a direct question

Idioms

363 3.7

Doing practical work or research outside an office

To try as hard as you can during a game or competition

from left field
  • Informal
2 8.0

In a way that is not expected

Make the situation different so some people have a better chance to win

7.2

Not very experienced in a job or area

Phrasal Verbs

to take the field
  • Specialized
15 3.6

To go onto the field to begin a game

10 7.7

Date several different people without wanting a serious relationship

To test something in real working conditions rather than in a lab

3 8.0

To send soldiers out to start fighting

Add plant food to the soil so crops grow better

Make land ready for planting by turning the soil and adding fertilizer

1 4.1

To move quickly and forcefully forward across a playing field in sports to try to score

1 7.7

To stop growing crops on a field for a time to let the soil get better

Compounds

101 1.0

An organized visit by students to learn outside the classroom

93 3.0

Points a team gets by kicking the ball between the other team's goalposts

92 3.8

The conditions that let people or companies compete fairly

force field
  • Literature
84 6.4

An invisible barrier of energy that keeps a place or object from harm

magnetic field
  • Specialized
78 4.0

An area around a magnet or electric current where a magnet's force moves objects

A rectangular area with lines and goals where players play football

A situation where everyone has the same fair chance to succeed

36 2.9

An area on the right side of the outfield from the batter's view in baseball

field day
  • Informal
33 3.9

A time when someone enjoys doing something a lot

27 3.6

The part of the outfield on the left side in baseball and the player who plays there

Sports like running, jumping, and throwing on a track or field

22 3.2

The part of the baseball outfield behind second base between left and right field

18 1.2

A large area of land without buildings or trees used for play

16 1.5

An area of land prepared and marked for playing sports

16 3.8

Study done outside in natural places like forests or villages

A grassy area with a diamond-shaped infield where people play baseball

16 1.0

An area of grass or artificial grass marked for playing soccer with goalposts

15 3.6

A check of a new product outside a lab to see how it works

15 2.3

A team sport played on grass where players use curved sticks to hit a small hard ball into a goal

electric field
  • Specialized
14 3.9

An area around a charged object that pushes or pulls other small charged things

13 8.8

An area where many people were killed during war or violence

left field
  • Informal
12 7.4

An unexpected, unusual idea or remark that surprises people

field hospital
  • Specialized
12 3.8

A temporary hospital near a disaster or battlefield that treats injured people

An area where soldiers fight in a war

11 6.4

An area where broken pieces from an accident or storm are spread over the ground

gravitational field
  • Specialized
10 4.6

The space around a planet or other object that pulls things toward it

A subject of learning like biology or history

9 1.9

A place where people play baseball

9 1.4

A field where wheat grows

field of view
  • Specialized
9 4.2

The area you can see at one time, for example through a camera or telescope

field of vision
  • Specialized
8 3.7

The whole area one eye can see without moving it

7 3.9

A book that helps you identify plants, animals, or rocks in nature

6 2.1

A small wild mouse that lives in fields or meadows

field theory
  • Specialized
5 8.3

An idea in physics that explains forces and particles as things spread through space and time, like gravity or electricity

field strength
  • Specialized
5 5.6

A measure of how strong an electric or magnetic field is at a place

5 1.9

A day with outdoor games and activities for a school or community

5 4.0

A person who does hard physical work on a farm

field of fire
  • Specialized
5 8.8

The area a gun can hit from one position

field officer
  • Specialized
5 4.6

A person in the army with the rank of major, lieutenant colonel, or colonel

An area of land people prepare and keep for playing sports like soccer or track

4 4.7

A large flat area of floating ice on the sea

4 3.6

A large indoor building for sports and training with space for spectators

field coil
  • Specialized
4 6.3

A wire wrapped around a magnet that makes a magnetic field in motors and generators

3 8.6

A very high army rank above general

radiation field
  • Specialized
3 5.6

The area around a source where energy like light spreads out

visual field
  • Specialized
3 4.8

The area you can see when you look straight ahead

A place where a city buries poor people with no family

3 3.0

A player who plays in the middle of the outfield and catches long hits

field line
  • Specialized
3 7.6

An imaginary line that shows the direction of the force around magnets or electric charges

A goal kicked near the end of a game that gives the team the win

field artillery
  • Specialized
2 5.8

Large mobile guns that armies use to fire at enemy positions to help front-line troops

field of honor
  • Literature
2 8.3

A place where soldiers fought that people remember with respect

2 3.3

A basket scored during play by throwing the ball through the other team's hoop

2 3.9

A test of a new product or system in real use to see how well it works

landing field
  • Specialized
2 3.7

A flat open place where small planes arrive and take off

A situation where everyone has an equal chance and no one has unfair advantages

2 4.9

A packed meal that soldiers eat during military operations

2 3.4

A competition on the field where athletes jump or throw, like long jump and shot put

2 5.6

A day for soldiers to practice exercises and show their skills

field corn
  • Specialized
1 4.2

A farm crop grown for animal feed and grain products, not eaten fresh

Part of business that helps companies tell people about and sell products or services

solar magnetic field
  • Specialized
1 5.7

A region around the Sun where magnetic forces affect charged particles

1 5.3

A small pair of binoculars you use to look at distant things outdoors

A pair of binoculars used to see far things outdoors

1 2.8

A flooded field where farmers grow rice, often in Asia

field general
  • Jargon
1 6.7

A player who leads and directs the team's play on the field, often the quarterback

force field
  • Specialized
1 6.3

An area around an object where it pushes or pulls other objects

quantum field theory
  • Specialized
1 8.2

A branch of physics explaining how very small particles and fields interact

1 9.3

A situation where a person's charm makes others ignore real problems

1 5.8

How strong a magnetic field is in a place

1 2.5

An outdoor team game played on a large marked grass or turf area like football

1 3.4

A crop like wheat or cotton that farmers grow in fields

field gun
  • Specialized
1 6.8

A large movable weapon soldiers use on the battlefield to fire at enemy troops

How Effective

to field
37 5.9
to handle
2 2.8
answer
∞ 1.0
to respond
∞ 1.0
to reply
441 1.0

Surface Forms

field infinitive
fielded past
fielded past participle
fielding present participle
fields third person singular

Etymology

Field gives the idea of handling things 'out in the open', so to field a question is to take it and deal with it, much like catching or handling something that comes your way.