1
as in purposes
something that one hopes or intends to accomplish
I'm sorry that I hurt your feelings; that wasn't my intent
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in senses
the idea that is conveyed or intended to be conveyed to the mind by language, symbol, or action
the wording was a little unclear, but I think I grasped the intent
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 intents
So much of her take on this artist in perpetual waiting revolves around sizing situations up, keeping cards close to vests, masking intents, letting tiny ripples in deceptively placid surfaces stand in for big displays.
—
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 9 Apr. 2026
That’s a pretty wide, public airing of grievances against a locker room that is, for all intents and purposes, winning.
—Joe Vardon, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
For all intents and purposes, the playoffs have begun.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 21 Mar. 2026
Grace’s victory has prompted a new contest for the high seat of the council, which comes with a nifty sigil ring and the ability to, for all intents and purposes, rule the world.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
The Iranian navy, never impressive, is for all intents and purposes defunct.
—Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026
Doors that at a glance appeared to be open were for all intents and purposes closed to them.
—Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 9 Mar. 2026
Sánchez Bezos, who, for all intents and purposes, is perhaps somewhat of a neo-Melania—the woman who married the ultimate billionaire du jour—has also graced a Vogue cover in her wedding dress.
—José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 4 Mar. 2026
But for all intents and purposes, there’s no room to be defensive about simply getting better on defense.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Jan. 2026
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 9 Apr. 2026
That’s a pretty wide, public airing of grievances against a locker room that is, for all intents and purposes, winning.
—Joe Vardon, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
For all intents and purposes, the playoffs have begun.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 21 Mar. 2026
Grace’s victory has prompted a new contest for the high seat of the council, which comes with a nifty sigil ring and the ability to, for all intents and purposes, rule the world.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
The Iranian navy, never impressive, is for all intents and purposes defunct.
—Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026
Doors that at a glance appeared to be open were for all intents and purposes closed to them.
—Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 9 Mar. 2026
Sánchez Bezos, who, for all intents and purposes, is perhaps somewhat of a neo-Melania—the woman who married the ultimate billionaire du jour—has also graced a Vogue cover in her wedding dress.
—José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 4 Mar. 2026
But for all intents and purposes, there’s no room to be defensive about simply getting better on defense.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for intents
Noun
-
This material is for illustration and discussion purposes and not intended to be, nor construed as, financial, legal, tax or investment advice.—
Katie Stockton,
CNBC,
13 Apr. 2026
-
The agreement says that the flag cannot be removed, except for normal maintenance purposes.—
Jesse Zanger,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The contest over causation goes to parents’ simultaneous senses of responsibility and helplessness about their children’s fates.—
Jeannie Suk Gersen,
New Yorker,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Like Dijon, svn4vr uses a dexterous, soulful rasp to fight for emotional truth from within songs that occupy shifting senses of space and bear the seams of digital assembly.—
H.D. Angel,
Pitchfork,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Wallstedt allowed only 12 goals over his last six starts.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Kuruc earned all-state honors last season as a sophomore, scoring 24 goals and setting a program record with 26 assists.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Alas, Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco, D-Downey, believes a state law can sidestep Proposition 59’s clear intentions.—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Apr. 2026
-
While institutions may provide a clear explanation of their riba-free financial model, some individuals remain skeptical of their intentions.—
Zoe Ligairi,
USA Today,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
If passed, the moratorium would temporarily stop the Legislature from accepting, processing and approving rezoning applications and site plans for data centers in the county.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The sale of the warehouse came two months after the owner of another Salt Lake City warehouse announced plans not to sell or lease to the federal government amid protests.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
My book this week will be Invisible Cities, by Italo Calvino, a meditation on words and meanings that cast light on the decline of literacy in modern American society.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Companion planting is a term with multiple meanings.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Orbán tried to paint the opposition as a puppet of Brussels, and an accomplice to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s war aims.—
Isaac Stanley-Becker,
The Atlantic,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Indigenous leaders sought to apply pressure on Lula, who has supported Indigenous rights and environmental stewardship in Latin America’s largest nation while also pushing projects that appear to go against those aims.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Recent revelations have shown a top member of Orban’s government frequently shared the contents of EU discussions with Moscow, raising accusations that Hungary was acting on Russia’s behalf within the bloc.—
Justin Spike,
Fortune,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Recent revelations have shown a top member of his government frequently shared the contents of EU discussions with Moscow, raising accusations that Hungary was acting on Russia’s behalf within the bloc.—
Justin Spike,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Intents.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intents. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
