How to Use intent in a Sentence

intent

1 of 2 noun
  • The intent of the law is to protect consumers.
  • He was charged with assault with intent to kill.
  • She thinks I'm trying to make things difficult for her, but that's not my intent.
  • Fain said the union’s intent is not to strike but to get a fair agreement.
    Fatima Hussein, Anchorage Daily News, 4 Sep. 2023
  • Whatever the intent, the result, staffers say, has been chaos.
    Kate Aronoff, The New Republic, 17 May 2023
  • Its original intent was to sort of be a deal with the states and the localities.
    Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 10 Sep. 2023
  • And what was the intent of getting the Caucus together?
    Roger Huang, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023
  • Whiting cast doubt on that story and said Davis likely went to the home with the intent to harm his mother.
    Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 17 Feb. 2024
  • Each event needs to be open to the public and should have the intent of allowing voters to meet the candidate.
    Olivia Krauth, The Courier-Journal, 8 June 2023
  • The intent behind the bill was to make daylight saving time permanent starting in the spring of 2023.
    Diba Mohtasham, NPR, 8 Mar. 2024
  • First, the courts look at whether Congress expressed a clear intent to do something or to not do something.
    Matt Ford, The New Republic, 1 May 2023
  • The intent with those movies is to reach as broad an audience as possible.
    Time, 11 July 2023
  • These systems push air through buildings, but with the intent to heat or cool, not to disinfect.
    Jennifer Nuckles, Forbes, 5 May 2023
  • The bill will next head to the Senate, and President Joe Biden has affirmed his intent to sign, if post chambers pass it.
    Shania Russell, EW.com, 18 Mar. 2024
  • The University of Virginia story was not a failure of intent, or an attempt to be loose with the facts.
    David Marchese, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2023
  • The sale was inked in June, over a year after Carlsberg announced its intent, with details of the buyer and the purchase amount left undisclosed.
    Prarthana Prakash, Fortune, 17 Aug. 2023
  • That was only a diversion; Ezra’s real intent was to have the Purrgil grab Thrawn’s ship and teleport them… elsewhere.
    William Goodman, Men's Health, 23 Aug. 2023
  • The new bill does not support any buffer zone and opposes the intent for any withdrawal.
    Arlyssa D. Becenti, The Arizona Republic, 7 June 2023
  • Chau’s driving intent to share the Christian Gospel with this remote tribe, sequestered from the rest of the world for thousands of years, was met with fatal arrows.
    Steve Dollar, Los Angeles Times, 30 Nov. 2023
  • This year, Princess Calla, presumed dead, enters the contest in disguise, with the intent to overthrow her uncle, King Kasa.
    Michael Stillwell, Town & Country, 9 Sep. 2023
  • His kitchen has been in Gaza since March, with the intent to bring food aid to starving people in northern Gaza via a maritime corridor from Cyprus.
    Sunny Nagpaul, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2024
  • And while the intent may be positive, the approach can cause unnecessary spirals of fear, guilt, or doubt.
    Christina Pérez, Vogue, 2 Dec. 2023
  • But right now, the intent is to really go after the ByteDance-TikTok dynamic and make some headway there.
    Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2024
  • Universal spent $400 million on rights to the franchise with the intent of starting a new trilogy.
    Zack Sharf, Variety, 11 Oct. 2023
  • When Grosz opened the restaurant in June 2001, the intent was to give his staff an opportunity to find its footing by the theater’s fall season.
    Detroit Free Press, 5 Mar. 2024
  • But while the bill’s overall intent didn’t change, AI technology did — and rapidly.
    Jess Weatherbed, The Verge, 13 Dec. 2023
  • The judge noted that the plaintiffs were not able to demonstrate intent of discrimination based on race.
    Niha Masih, Washington Post, 18 Aug. 2023
  • The final two acts served as something like Madonna’s statements of intent — to provoke, to enrich, to confound.
    Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 14 Dec. 2023
  • The man got ahold of a glass container—a Coke bottle, perhaps, or a glass vial for plasma—and broke it with the intent of harming others, himself or both.
    Aaron Stern, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Aug. 2023
  • Goldberg explained that her intent had been only to recognize the good news that both sides were in contact with each other.
    Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2023
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intent

2 of 2 adjective
  • For a young man intent on changing the world, there couldn’t have been a better choice.
    Lawrence Wright, The New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2023
  • That seems to be what the error-prone Fed is intent on giving us.
    Steve H. Hanke, National Review, 4 May 2023
  • Well, the city of Los Angeles seems intent on proving the court wrong.
    Seth Stern, Orange County Register, 13 Feb. 2024
  • His lawyer, Kate Hardie, told the jury the only question was intent.
    Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2023
  • The pastor had daughters who used to come up to the fence to talk to us, intent on laying out the reasons we were bound for hell.
    Justin E. H. Smith, Harper's Magazine, 14 Aug. 2023
  • Craig had gained six yards and five yards on consecutive carries as the 49ers were intent on killing the clock.
    Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2024
  • Klein was intent on shoring them up, mother and daughter.
    Ellen Barry, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Aug. 2023
  • Like the dormant insect, the Locust has reemerged, intent on destroying the world.
    Paula L. Woods, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024
  • Fred Mitchell started to put on a pair of rain boots, intent on saving a wooden desk in his muddy garage.
    Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Washington Post, 1 Sep. 2023
  • Windom told the court that Lemley had been intent on going to Richmond.
    James Verini, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2023
  • Why, at this point in his career, is Lloyd Webber so intent on telling this story?
    Vulture, 25 Mar. 2023
  • For their part, the filmmakers are intent on a proper release in the U.S., whether in theaters or on streaming.
    Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 May 2023
  • The Jets are a real threat, and as coach Robert Saleh put it recently, are intent on enjoying it.
    Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 3 Sep. 2023
  • So, why is everyone intent on making plans, for trips far away from home?
    David Morgan, CBS News, 6 July 2023
  • And instead of moving on from Green, the Warriors appear intent on keeping him.
    Connor Letourneau, San Francisco Chronicle, 16 May 2023
  • For now, analysts said, Mr. Putin seems intent on pinning the mutiny solely on Mr. Prigozhin.
    Eric Schmitt, New York Times, 28 June 2023
  • Despite all that, the living are still intent on keeping their secrets.
    Marta Balaga, Variety, 16 Mar. 2024
  • Most of the bills are still being drafted and only include intent language.
    Dustin Gardiner, San Francisco Chronicle, 10 Mar. 2023
  • Good luck to Biles — and to all the gymnasts intent on proving their age matters less than their mind, maturity and will.
    Helene Elliott, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2023
  • Despite the cringy heavy metal marketing, O’Shea was still intent on joining the band.
    Derek Scancarelli, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2023
  • But not to worry, as the bookstore worker is intent on getting rid of anyone standing in his way.
    Amy MacKelden, ELLE, 12 Mar. 2023
  • Xi may also be intent on demonstrating to Putin that if there is a new world order, then China will lead it.
    Robyn Dixon, Anchorage Daily News, 20 Mar. 2023
  • The Chiefs entered last offseason intent on discussing a long-term contract with Hill.
    Adam Kilgore, BostonGlobe.com, 20 Jan. 2023
  • Danny is intent on making sure that Eli finds that moment with Laura.
    Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 10 Mar. 2024
  • The production intent version of the Gemini pack will use cobalt-free and anode-free manganese cells.
    Sam Abuelsamid, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023
  • Hair tousled, eyes intent, Damon stares at the camera and insists that Jordan is the only one at the table who matters.
    Noah Berlatsky, CNN, 7 Apr. 2023
  • The circumstances are absurd and bleak, but Goorjian was intent on finding a light, affirming tone for the story.
    J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 19 Dec. 2023
  • Michael Dorf, the founder of City Winery, the network of 14 restaurant-wineries with live music in 11 cities, was intent on reusing an old property for a new location in the area.
    Sal Cataldi, New York Times, 27 July 2023
  • Also, Wicker is intent on avoiding a mass roster churn like Colorado did last year when Deion Sanders was hired and brought in more than 80 new players.
    Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Nov. 2023
  • Holmes is intent on delaying serving her 11-plus year sentence, set to begin on April 27.
    Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 1 Mar. 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'intent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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