GOALS Synonyms: 38 Similar and Opposite Words

goals

noun

plural of goal

as in objectives

something that one hopes or intends to accomplish leaving the world a better place than I found it is one of my main goals

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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 goals The Sun enters your sign today, beginning your season and putting greater emphasis on your goals, identity, presence, and personal direction. — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 23 Oct. 2026 Knuble, playing his second career game, scored his first two goals in front of his father, former NHL forward Mike Knuble, who played 1,068 games with five teams. — CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026 The agency feels some urgency in this quest, for China has similar goals. — Mike Wall, Space.com, 22 Oct. 2026 Duguay was traded to the Detroit Red Wings in the summer of 1983 and had the two best seasons of his career, including career highs of 89 points on 38 goals and 51 assists during the 1984-1985 season. — Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026 Emma Estrela, a Level 3 practitioner of the Wim Hof Method, told Women’s Health that gender alone shouldn’t dictate time or temperature, and anyone trying ice baths should listen to their body and adapt based on individual tolerance and goals. — Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2026 The association reiterated its support for SB 707’s textile circularity goals while challenging CalRecycle’s choice of the organization tasked with implementing them. — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026 That took Chelsea to six goals inside the first seven minutes of games this season, something no Premier League side has previously managed across any six-game spell. — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026 Guilherme had two goals and an assists for Houston and Mateusz Bogusz added a goal and an assist. — ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for goals

Noun

Akhlaghi added Iran was concentrating on its objectives through the use of new technologies.

— Khaled Wassef, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
The difference is that Russian coercion must now be aimed at Europe rather than the United States to achieve these objectives.

— Dmitry Adamsky, Foreign Affairs, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of objectives

Noun

Combined with its co-founders' pledge to donate 80% of their equity and an employee donation matching program, roughly 20% of Anthropic's shares will be dedicated to public purposes, excluding any additional shares added later.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026
Preliminary findings indicate Wilcher accessed it on multiple occasions for non-law enforcement purposes, the GBI said.

— CBS News Atlanta Digital Team, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of purposes

Noun

Luigi Carbone, Pope Leo XIV's physician, said the pontiff's recovery from lung cancer surgery won't stop plans for a visit to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru involving a dozen flights and two helicopter rides to high altitudes.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
The company behind Claude AI announced plans to commit 5% of its shares to a new Anthropic Public Benefit Fund, subject to stockholder approval.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of plans

Noun

The cynic would say their aims are financial, and the outcomes in education are merely incidental to that end.

— Kamau Bobb October 21, Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2026
But the uneven nature of the film, its plotting, its character motivations, and its aims only become bigger and bloodier as the film winds on.

— Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of aims

Noun

Despite researchers’ best intentions, there will always be a tendency to push the boundaries of the evidence beyond conservative limits, and with that comes greater risk of making claims that ultimately fail to generalize.

— Mark Louie F. Ramos, STAT, 21 Oct. 2026
Many arrive after years of frustration in educational settings that, despite the best intentions of dedicated teachers, could not fully meet their needs.

— Claudia Nachtigal, Baltimore Sun, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of intentions

Noun

Tonight’s Venus cazimi could illuminate which opportunities, ambitions, or forms of recognition genuinely appeal to you now.

— Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 23 Oct. 2026
India is also grappling with similar issues that pose a threat to its ambitions to host the whole world’s data.

— Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of ambitions

Noun

Our research and engineering remain world-class, but our record of getting ideas to market and improving how products are made has been less stellar.

— Rick Lazio, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
As the woman in the shop explained to them, and the editors dutifully left in the episode to exonerate them, part of the aesthetic is bridging international ideas of cuteness (or kawaii in Japanese).

— Brian Moylan, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of ideas

Noun

Then after Reaves scored, Kessler blocked a shot, and for all intents and purposes, the victory was secured for the Lakers.

— Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
Tech equities—for all intents and purposes, the stock market itself—wouldn’t be worth the paper they’re printed on.

— Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of intents

Browse Nearby Words

go along

goals

goat

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“Goals.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/goals. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of goals

noun

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