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
David A. KaplanExamples of a means to an end in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Instead, the siblings were in dentistry, and the enterprise was fashioned as a means to an end during a difficult family crisis.
—Roxanne Robinson, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025
And not just funny as a means to an end, but funny as an end unto itself.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 3 July 2025
Almost anyone 18 and older that appears onscreen is a monster here, and anyone younger is either prey or a means to an end.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 28 May 2025
Katie: So for me, content comedy writing, it's always been a means to an end.
—Outside Online, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for a means to an end
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Roxanne Robinson, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025
And not just funny as a means to an end, but funny as an end unto itself.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 3 July 2025
Almost anyone 18 and older that appears onscreen is a monster here, and anyone younger is either prey or a means to an end.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 28 May 2025
Katie: So for me, content comedy writing, it's always been a means to an end.
—Outside Online, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for a means to an end
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 19 Aug. 2025.
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