a means to an end

noun phrase

: something done only to produce a desired result
Computers have always been a means to an end for [George] Lucas: telling stories.David A. Kaplan

Examples of a means to an end in a Sentence

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Big Tech CEOs’ rightward shift may have tempered Trump’s desire to crack down on them, but more likely, the White House sees antitrust enforcement as a means to an end, and has more politically valuable ends in mind than promoting competition. Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 25 Sep. 2025 Reparations are a means to an end; repair is the end. Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025 Time travel is more a means to an end in Outlander, but there is still an expansive timeline and lots of characters moving around to keep track of. Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 8 Aug. 2025 The End of the Affair does not present an optimistic picture of human love: Eros is a means to an end—a fatalistic step on the ladder toward agape. Terry Nguyen july 23, Literary Hub, 23 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for a means to an end

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Cite this Entry

“A means to an end.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20means%20to%20an%20end. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.

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