1
as in signifies
to communicate or convey (as an idea) to the mind
the national anthem means various things to various people
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in matters
to be of importance
your presence at my graduation would mean a lot to me
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in intends
to have in mind as a purpose or goal
I mean to win this race
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in measure
an action planned or taken to achieve a desired result
won the competition by fair and honest means
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in instrumentality
something used to achieve an end
the ends don't justify the means
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in wealth
the total of one's money and property
a woman of considerable means
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of means
Bryan West, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
That means anyone who pays for health insurance coverage, including for plans offered through their employer, will see higher monthly premiums.
—Beth Warren, Nashville Tennessean, 3 Oct. 2025
None of this means that the Giants’ next manager won’t be a cigar-chomping senior who hates the modern game and has a tattoo of a sacrifice bunt over his heart.
—Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
The grand jury indictment means the former fire chief’s criminal case skips the preliminary hearing phase and moves directly to trial.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2025
For practical purposes, this means that Robinhood and Nvidia will not each represent 1/500th of the S&P 500—instead the latter counts for around 8% of the overall index, while Robinhood will count for a relatively tiny amount.
—Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2025
This means someone must stay, and Arisu volunteers.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 26 Sep. 2025
This means that qualifying productions are eligible for a total incentive of up to 40%, making the state hugely competitive to not only other states but also major international destinations such as the UK, Hungary and neighboring Canada.
—Diana Lodderhose, Deadline, 25 Sep. 2025
Refusing to engage with it means robbing yourself of the experience, like walking into a museum eyes closed rather than appreciating any of the paintings.
—Alyssa Mercante, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2025
Pol Ballús, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Flax is known to promote good digestive health and prevent constipation, thanks to plenty of insoluble fiber and soluble fiber (both of which facilitate digestion and regular bowel movements through slightly different means).
—Christina Chaey, Bon Appetit Magazine, 30 Sep. 2025
If not exactly a jackboot on the neck, the pressure on Disney from the FCC underscored who really controlled the means of communication.
—Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2025
For Tate McRae, an average night in 2025 means performing to tens of thousands of screaming fans in arenas around the world.
—Rachel Brodsky, Time, 30 Sep. 2025
The Fortune 500 investment, money management, and retirement planning firm surveyed around 20,000 people over the age of 50 and found retirees are living well below their means.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 29 Sep. 2025
While protesters have tried to shut down the building physically, the city government is trying to do it by other means.
—Andy Rose, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2025
Bedoya said the residence is dubbed Asolare, which in Italian means to pass time in a delightful, leisurely way.
—David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 27 Sep. 2025
Unless your intention is to argue, in which case, by all means let them in on your objection.
—Judith Martin, Mercury News, 27 Sep. 2025
Verb
That means Swift incorporated a portion of the pop classic's composition into her version, in this case the melody and beginning chorus lyrics.
—Bryan West, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
That means anyone who pays for health insurance coverage, including for plans offered through their employer, will see higher monthly premiums.
—Beth Warren, Nashville Tennessean, 3 Oct. 2025
None of this means that the Giants’ next manager won’t be a cigar-chomping senior who hates the modern game and has a tattoo of a sacrifice bunt over his heart.
—Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
The grand jury indictment means the former fire chief’s criminal case skips the preliminary hearing phase and moves directly to trial.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2025
For practical purposes, this means that Robinhood and Nvidia will not each represent 1/500th of the S&P 500—instead the latter counts for around 8% of the overall index, while Robinhood will count for a relatively tiny amount.
—Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2025
This means someone must stay, and Arisu volunteers.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 26 Sep. 2025
This means that qualifying productions are eligible for a total incentive of up to 40%, making the state hugely competitive to not only other states but also major international destinations such as the UK, Hungary and neighboring Canada.
—Diana Lodderhose, Deadline, 25 Sep. 2025
Refusing to engage with it means robbing yourself of the experience, like walking into a museum eyes closed rather than appreciating any of the paintings.
—Alyssa Mercante, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2025
Noun
That position of strength means, in the local media, the messaging can often be shaped to the club’s advantage.
—Pol Ballús, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Flax is known to promote good digestive health and prevent constipation, thanks to plenty of insoluble fiber and soluble fiber (both of which facilitate digestion and regular bowel movements through slightly different means).
—Christina Chaey, Bon Appetit Magazine, 30 Sep. 2025
If not exactly a jackboot on the neck, the pressure on Disney from the FCC underscored who really controlled the means of communication.
—Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2025
For Tate McRae, an average night in 2025 means performing to tens of thousands of screaming fans in arenas around the world.
—Rachel Brodsky, Time, 30 Sep. 2025
The Fortune 500 investment, money management, and retirement planning firm surveyed around 20,000 people over the age of 50 and found retirees are living well below their means.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 29 Sep. 2025
While protesters have tried to shut down the building physically, the city government is trying to do it by other means.
—Andy Rose, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2025
Bedoya said the residence is dubbed Asolare, which in Italian means to pass time in a delightful, leisurely way.
—David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 27 Sep. 2025
Unless your intention is to argue, in which case, by all means let them in on your objection.
—Judith Martin, Mercury News, 27 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for means
Verb
-
The later disruption of those railroad networks signifies the country’s economic decline in the early twentieth century.—
Edna Bonhomme,
Artforum,
1 Oct. 2025
-
This reading, which signifies the biggest drop since March 2023, takes on even greater importance now that there's an economic data blackout because of the shutdown.—
Sean Conlon,Pia Singh,
CNBC,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
If people who create movies believe in their own art form, the performance that matters to them should be that of actors on set.—
Gershom Gorenberg,
The Atlantic,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Money matters — so make the most of it.—
Kat Boogaard,
CNBC,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In reference to the discipline issue, JCPS defended its policies but also asked if the Office for Civil Rights intends to dissolve the resolution agreement the district entered into under the previous administration.—
Krista Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Once the league launches, Cole intends to inject playoff stakes at different times of the year, rather than waiting for October.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
But amping up efforts can lead to a whopping 25 percent increase in social capital, our prior study indicates.—
Sarah Maokosy,
Fortune,
4 Oct. 2025
-
As the missing final months in the timeline of An Unfinished Film indicates, the people's reluctance to talk about the pandemic cannot be attributed only to censorship.—
Yangyang Cheng,
NPR,
4 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Scoring five times with four assists in the six league games so far equates to a goal involvement every 57 and a half minutes for the Colombia winger; a triumph by any measure.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Arlinda Hanna, 45, acknowledged DOGE measures were affecting swaths of people in Northern Virgina, even those who didn’t lose their job.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
They are left wielding the tools of instrumentality: in-groups and cliques, buying effort through more money, coercive employment agreements and suits against whistleblowers.—
Dave Winsborough,
Forbes.com,
19 July 2025
-
Holding the weight of cotton’s influence on the world, and thus the instrumentality of Black labor, is painful, yet necessary work.—
Cierra Black,
Essence,
9 July 2025
Noun
-
But in addition to his reputation as a womanizer, Casanova was also a con man, a skilled liar who came from a family of actors and who over the course of his life manipulated and tricked countless people to maintain wealth and status.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Without competent economic statecraft and public policy, Africa’s private sector cannot create wealth for more than a handful of elite entrepreneurs.—
Kingsley Moghalu,
semafor.com,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
As the title implies, the stakes increase significantly when bodies start to drop.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
2 Oct. 2025
-
That implies the construction of dozens of data centers along the lines of the Stargate Project, which plans to build the first ever 1-gigawatt facilities.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Means.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/means. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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