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to field

to field

35 5.9
To answer questions or problems calmly and skillfully
  • verb
  • /fiːld/
translation icon : 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

31 3.9

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

Idioms

228 3.7

Doing practical work or research outside an office

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

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

from left field
  • Informal
1 8.0

In a way that is not expected

7.2

Not very experienced in a job or area

Phrasal Verbs

13 7.7

Date several different people without wanting a serious relationship

to take the field
  • Specialized
9 3.6

To go onto the field to begin a game

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

1 8.0

To send soldiers out to start fighting

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

Add plant food to the soil so crops grow better

7.7

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

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

Compounds

95 1.0

An organized visit by students to learn outside the classroom

75 3.8

The conditions that let people or companies compete fairly

magnetic field
  • Specialized
67 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

52 3.0

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

force field
  • Literature
42 6.4

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

30 2.9

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

21 3.6

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

A situation where everyone has the same fair chance to succeed

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

field day
  • Informal
20 3.9

A time when someone enjoys doing something a lot

force field
  • Specialized
18 6.3

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

15 1.2

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

14 1.0

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

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

12 3.0

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

12 2.3

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

field hospital
  • Specialized
11 3.8

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

11 3.8

Study done outside in natural places like forests or villages

An area where soldiers fight in a war

9 6.4

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

9 3.3

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

9 8.8

An area where many people were killed during war or violence

A subject of learning like biology or history

field of vision
  • Specialized
8 3.7

The whole area one eye can see without moving it

gravitational field
  • Specialized
8 4.6

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

8 1.9

A place where people play baseball

field of view
  • Specialized
8 4.2

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

electric field
  • Specialized
7 3.9

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

7 1.4

A field where wheat grows

An area of land prepared and marked for playing sports

5 4.0

A person who does hard physical work on a farm

5 3.6

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

left field
  • Informal
5 7.4

An unexpected, unusual idea or remark that surprises people

4 3.9

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

field strength
  • Specialized
4 5.6

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

4 3.2

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

4 2.1

A small wild mouse that lives in fields or meadows

field of fire
  • Specialized
4 8.8

The area a gun can hit from one position

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

field coil
  • Specialized
3 6.3

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

field theory
  • Specialized
3 8.3

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

3 4.7

A large flat area of floating ice on the sea

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

2 3.6

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

2 4.9

A packed meal that soldiers eat during military operations

field officer
  • Specialized
2 4.6

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

landing field
  • Specialized
2 3.7

A flat open place where small planes arrive and take off

A place where a city buries poor people with no family

visual field
  • Specialized
2 4.8

The area you can see when you look straight ahead

1 3.4

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

field general
  • Jargon
1 6.7

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

1 1.9

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

field line
  • Specialized
1 7.6

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

1 8.6

A very high army rank above general

field of honor
  • Literature
1 8.3

A place where soldiers fought that people remember with respect

1 2.8

A flooded field where farmers grow rice, often in Asia

1 5.3

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

1 5.8

How strong a magnetic field is in a place

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

radiation field
  • Specialized
1 5.6

The area around a source where energy like light spreads out

dark-field microscope
  • Specialized
1 6.8

A microscope that makes tiny particles too small for an ordinary microscope appear bright on a dark background

electrostatic field
  • Specialized
1 7.4

An area around electric charges that pushes or pulls other charges

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

A pair of binoculars used to see far things outdoors

field gun
  • Specialized
1 6.8

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

field corn
  • Specialized
1 4.2

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

field emission
  • Specialized
1 7.8

Electrons leave a material's surface when a strong electric field pulls them into empty space

field intensity
  • Specialized
1 7.7

How strong and which way an electric or magnetic field is at a point

1 3.5

A small pea plant grown for edible seeds that feed people or animals

field of honor
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A place where two people meet to fight to settle a personal argument

field of operations
  • Specialized
1 7.2

An area where soldiers fight and do military work during a war

How Effective

to field
35 5.9
to handle
41 2.8
answer
1.0
to respond
1.0
to reply
453 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.