1
as in aspiration
eager desire for personal advancement
"Talent without ambition will not make you a star," the singer's voice coach liked to remind her
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2
as in initiative
readiness to engage in daring or difficult activity
the ambition shown by the undersea explorers of the Mariana Trench, the deepest in the world
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3
as in goal
something that one hopes or intends to accomplish
his ambition is to study international business, then get a job overseas
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ambition
So there is this constant tension within him between human-ness and party-ness, where on the one hand Xi Zhongxun was someone with his own views, his own ambitions, and his own emotions.
—
Emily Feng, NPR, 28 May 2025
SpaceX kicked off the year with the ambition to launch as many as 25 Starship test flights in 2025, a goal that now seems to be unattainable.
—ArsTechnica, 28 May 2025
In this edition of CNBC Meets, Cher speaks to Tania Bryer about the ambition that drove her success, activism and why her next album might be her last.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 27 May 2025
Even with big ambitions, Evans is still drawing cautious lines around where Hot Ones can go.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for ambition
Emily Feng, NPR, 28 May 2025
SpaceX kicked off the year with the ambition to launch as many as 25 Starship test flights in 2025, a goal that now seems to be unattainable.
—ArsTechnica, 28 May 2025
In this edition of CNBC Meets, Cher speaks to Tania Bryer about the ambition that drove her success, activism and why her next album might be her last.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 27 May 2025
Even with big ambitions, Evans is still drawing cautious lines around where Hot Ones can go.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for ambition
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ambition
Noun
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Amazon did not immediately return Sourcing Journal’s request for comment on its robotics aspirations.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
5 June 2025
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The governor, with obvious presidential aspirations, can thread the needle and balance the need for economic growth and the protection of Maryland’s land.—
Joanne Frederick,
Baltimore Sun,
4 June 2025
Noun
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In March 2024, Galassi formally notified the Italian oversight committee of the buyback initiative.—
Michael Verdon,
Robb Report,
9 June 2025
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That’s why Telefilm is investing heavily in initiatives that connect Canadian creators with global markets, including First Look, which introduces Canadian films in post-production to U.S. sales agents and festival programmers.—
Jamie Lang,
Variety,
9 June 2025
Noun
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But Bennett’s goal would not keep the Panthers ahead for long.—
Adam Lichtenstein,
Sun Sentinel,
7 June 2025
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The goal being to have 30 teams all in a position, if well-managed, to be competing for championships.—
Sam Amick,
New York Times,
6 June 2025
Noun
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While an immigration judge in Louisiana has found Khalil deportable based on Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s determination, his lawyers separately brought the federal court case to ask Farbiaz to weigh in on the constitutional issues at play.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
29 May 2025
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And there is determination and Stovall has plenty of that.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
28 May 2025
Noun
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Many of the pro-climate policies enacted, particularly during the Biden era, deliver little in the way of climate benefits (or any benefit for that matter) while making a mockery of the real economic concerns businesses and consumers have about climate action.—
Ashley Nunes,
Boston Herald,
7 June 2025
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Note that bond funds have less predictable income patterns than individual bonds due to the fund's diversification, strategy and trading actions.—
Catherine Brock,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2025
Noun
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This was still wild country, and Fuller set off with the express purpose of producing a book about her journey.—
James Marcus,
New Yorker,
2 June 2025
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These rituals included a physical action, an emotional expression and a shared sense of purpose.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
Noun
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The days of dodging class or suffering from a lack of motivation appear to be a thing of the past at Alpha School, a private pre-K through eighth grade institution that utilizes personalized artificial intelligence to teach an entire day of core academic lessons in just two hours.—
Alex Backus,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 May 2025
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The process is also shaped by a long-term signaling process where candidates express interest or withdraw based on personal motivations and interactions with the current leader.—
Matthew F. Erskine,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
Noun
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One of drive, skill, and physicality, and the two midfielders both possess the engine to return to their defensive positions quickly when needed.—
James Nalton,
Forbes,
13 Feb. 2023
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Potentially more significant are subsidies paid to companies that manufacture batteries in the United States, part of a drive by the Biden administration to establish a domestic supply chain and reduce dependence on China.—
Jack Ewing,
New York Times,
10 Feb. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Ambition.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ambition. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.
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