goal

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun goal contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of goal are aim, design, end, intention, intent, objective, object, and purpose. While all these words mean "what one intends to accomplish or attain," goal suggests something attained only by prolonged effort and hardship.

worked years to reach her goals

When could aim be used to replace goal?

The meanings of aim and goal largely overlap; however, aim adds to these implications of effort directed toward attaining or accomplishing.

her aim was to raise film to an art form

When is it sensible to use design instead of goal?

The words design and goal are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, design implies a more carefully calculated plan.

the order of events came by accident, not design

When can end be used instead of goal?

While the synonyms end and goal are close in meaning, end stresses the intended effect of action often in distinction or contrast to the action or means as such.

willing to use any means to achieve his end

In what contexts can intent take the place of goal?

The words intent and goal can be used in similar contexts, but intent suggests clearer formulation or greater deliberateness.

the clear intent of the statute

When might intention be a better fit than goal?

While in some cases nearly identical to goal, intention implies little more than what one has in mind to do or bring about.

announced his intention to marry

How do object and end relate to one another, in the sense of goal?

Object may equal end but more often applies to a more individually determined wish or need.

his constant object was the achievement of pleasure

When is objective a more appropriate choice than goal?

The synonyms objective and goal are sometimes interchangeable, but objective implies something tangible and immediately attainable.

their objective is to seize the oil fields

When would purpose be a good substitute for goal?

Although the words purpose and goal have much in common, purpose suggests a more settled determination.

being successful was her purpose in life

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of goal To help the city reach its goal, Johnson's budget allocated funding to increase the number of auxiliary positions for parking enforcement officers. Vanessa Swales, jsonline.com, 21 Oct. 2025 His stated goal is to keep Rivians updatable for seven to 10 years. Andrew Moseman, The Atlantic, 21 Oct. 2025 The goal isn’t to limit yourself but to find balance. Jamie Johnson, Verywell Health, 21 Oct. 2025 Working with good faith is my Mercury in Sagittarius goal! Colin Bedell, Them., 21 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for goal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for goal
Noun
  • Swets, who has expertise with special-purpose acquisition companies (SPACs), formed Greenland Exploration with his investment and merchant banking firm, FG Nexus, and agreed to merge with March GL and find a suitable SPAC to take the company public.
    Jordan Blum, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2025
  • Sea lines of communication, or SLOCs, are the principal maritime routes between ports used for trade, military or other purposes.
    Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The aim is to drill the first well slowly, entering five different geologic zones and testing for oil and gas in each of them.
    Jordan Blum, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2025
  • The following month, Lana Del Rey posted a song snippet taking aim at Cain.
    Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 21 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The municipal panel that oversees the Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority endorsed the five-year rate plan in June.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 22 Oct. 2025
  • Next summer, the plan is for a barge to bring over the drilling rig to start the first well.
    Jordan Blum, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Defense Priorities scholars argue that the cartels are being falsely equated with terrorist groups like Al Qaeda, and warn of mission creep without clear objectives or legal justification.
    Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Included in the 2030 objectives are new measures to meet the urgency of climate, social, and industry-wide challenges.
    Mayu Saini, Sourcing Journal, 24 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Baleba, after a troubled start to his season following United’s interest during the transfer window, had a good game against Newcastle last time out, and his performance in front of his suitors could impact their intentions next summer.
    Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
  • The survey revealed a troubling gap between intention and action.
    Lauren Parker, Sourcing Journal, 23 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • When built around real clinical intent, AI can help sort and score incoming data, identify what requires escalation, and suppress what does not.
    Scott R. Schell, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
  • This was a mob intent on violence against Gardaí.
    Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The shareholder meetings give the youngest Browns in the sixth and seventh generations, and their distant cousins, a chance to meet and bounce ideas off one another.
    Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 26 Oct. 2025
  • My idea was to do a little ‘maison,’ and to offer a look at what’s behind the brand.
    Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 26 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Examples include huge catching nets, or docking with stray objects to force them back down into Earth's atmosphere.
    Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 26 Oct. 2025
  • According to reseachers, grabbing legs combined AL contraction with PL bending to wrap and lift objects up to 6 g—30 times the leg’s weight—with 90 percent performance retained after 100 cycles.
    Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 26 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Goal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/goal. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on goal

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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