Synonyms of means

means 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of mean

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

• signifies
• implies
• denotes
• indicates
• suggests
• intends
• spells
• expresses
• explains
• represents
• imports
• infers
• symbolizes
• connotes
• symbols
• specifies
• mentions
• hints
• amounts (to)
• announces
• embodies
• refers (to)
• points (to)
• signals
• intimates
• adds up (to)
• alludes (to)
• proclaims
• touches (on or upon)
• personifies
• epitomizes
• cites
• instances
• designates
• insinuates
• declares
• elucidates
• adverts

2

as in matters

to be of importance

your presence at my graduation would mean a lot to me

Synonyms & Similar Words

• matters
• weighs
• signifies
• counts
• influences
• affects
• imports
• cuts ice
• carries weight
• concerns
• amounts (to)
• adds up (to)
• sways

3

as in intends

to have in mind as a purpose or goal

I mean to win this race

Synonyms & Similar Words

• intends
• plans
• contemplates
• hopes
• purposes
• goes
• aims
• looks
• proposes
• wishes
• tries
• purports
• allows
• calculates
• aspires
• designs
• considers
• figures on
• attempts
• meditates
• dreams
• strives
• accomplishes
• achieves
• struggles
• schemes
• debates
• plots
• ponders
• performs
• effects
• executes
• endeavors
• mulls (over)

4

as in indicates

to serve as a sign or symptom of

these colder nights mean autumn has truly arrived

Synonyms & Similar Words

• indicates
• signifies
• denotes
• points (to)
• tells (of)
• betokens
• bodes
• bespeaks
• presages
• foretells
• foreshows

means

2 of 2

noun

plural of mean

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

• measure
• step
• move
• action
• effort
• shift
• attempt
• expedient
• resource
• doing
• procedure
• act
• process
• operation
• course
• initiative
• try
• dealing
• proceeding
• activity
• success
• feat
• while
• deed
• thing
• project
• accomplishment
• attainment
• work
• endeavor
• exploit
• achievement
• coup
• triumph
• proposal
• event
• pass
• undertaking
• enterprise
• trouble
• proposition
• go
• business
• exertion
• labor
• resort
• crack
• stab
• pains
• essay
• trial
• shot
• affair
• whack
• counterstep
• stopgap
• countermeasure
• fling
• makeshift
• countermove

2

as in instrumentality

something used to achieve an end

the ends don't justify the means

Synonyms & Similar Words

• instrumentality
• instrument
• agent
• vehicle
• mechanism
• factor
• tool
• power
• incentive
• agency
• machinery
• organ
• ministry
• influence
• medium
• reason
• ingredient
• cause
• impetus
• determinant
• weapon
• catalyst
• driver
• expedient
• stimulus
• generator
• inspiration
• trigger
• antecedent
• executor
• occasion
• activator
• instigation
• mover
• instigator
• launcher
• energizer
• animator
• subagency
• subagent

3

as in wealth

the total of one's money and property

a woman of considerable means

Synonyms & Similar Words

• wealth
• assets
• things
• money
• capital
• worth
• funds
• fortune
• riches
• substance
• possessions
• wherewithal
• effects
• resources
• success
• prosperity
• savings
• opulence
• holdings
• finances
• property
• belongings
• abundance
• wallet
• acquisition
• affluence
• chattels
• paraphernalia
• personal property
• treasure
• deep pockets
• bankroll
• personalty
• treasury
• accession
• reserve
• nest egg
• valuables

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• liabilities
• debts
• indebtedness

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of means

Verb

Also known as fragrance stacking, layering means mixing scents to create your own custom blend according to Almira Armstrong, founder of Lumira. — Reece Andavolgyi, InStyle, 6 July 2026

Furthermore, the centralized App Store infrastructure means third-party applications would cease to function if Apple's servers are no longer active. — Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 6 July 2026

Create a Welcoming Habitat Lindsey Chastain, an expert in homesteading and domestic birds, says that creating a welcoming habitat for birds means different things for different birds. — The Spruce, 5 July 2026

Make your vehicle visible to others both ahead of you and behind you by using your low-beam headlights since this means your taillights will also be on. — Kansas City Star Weather Bot, Kansas City Star, 5 July 2026

This moment means a lot to me, man. — Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 June 2026

In this measure, the number 0 means grade level. — Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2026

This means a patient can fly out on a Thursday and be back at a desk the next week without an obvious buzz cut announcing what happened. — Malana Vantyler, Miami Herald, 24 June 2026

For Arnerich, the support means the world. — Brad Hamilton, CBS News, 24 June 2026

Noun

Making the final means the Huskies could be very good this fall. — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026

Workers and advocates say losing those employees will cost the airport knowledgeable workers and leave their families without means to support themselves. — Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 11 July 2026

Being authentic means genuinely caring about your clients' needs, not just selling to them. — Austin Schutte, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026

But if audiences choose to keep building up their personal collections through legitimate means instead of the black market, that will be their choice. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 10 July 2026

Attention now turns to the next certification phase, known as G-2, where Electra and the FAA will establish the aircraft’s means of compliance. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 10 July 2026

However, the ballot proposition process would increasingly serve the very forces that direct democracy was conceived as a bulwark against — those with the means to push their pet causes. — Mark Brilliant, Mercury News, 9 July 2026

In other words, organisms are adapted — genetically predisposed — to achieve things by various means, and the goal is the aspect of fitness the behavior serves. — Quanta Magazine, 8 July 2026

At the moment, Congress is having a terrible time deciding how to levy taxes, go to war, protect Social Security, confirm judges and live within its means. — Kenneth Seeskin, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026

Phrases Containing means

• by all means
• by means of
• by no means