This is the 533rd most frequent Russian word.
ответил
Answered.
Here, 'ответил' conveys the act of giving an answer in response to a specific query.
Он ответил на вопрос учителя.
He answered the teacher's question.
Here, 'ответил' is used metaphorically to describe a response expressed through an action rather than words.
Ребёнок ответил улыбкой.
The child replied with a smile.
In this sentence, 'ответил' describes the action of responding to a phone call as a form of communication.