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
Shaun Boyd, CBS News, 28 Apr. 2026
Keep in mind, tulips require full sun, which means at least six hours of bright, direct sunlight a day.
—Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 28 Apr. 2026
To mark the milestone, Yellen spoke with Fortune about what this means to her and the most pressing political and economic questions of the day.
—Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026
Achievement means so much more than just the accolades, the business results and the promotions or career milestones.
—Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 28 Apr. 2026
In the meantime, read on for what Venus trine Pluto means for your zodiac sign.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 28 Apr. 2026
Booking a hotel means paying for a second place to sleep while already covering the cost of a cruise cabin.
—Jessica Mekles, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
That means the strike that began on April 4 at midnight will continue.
—Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 28 Apr. 2026
That means providing wages that reflect the cost of living and the complexity of this work.
—David Rich, Hartford Courant, 28 Apr. 2026
Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 May 2026
Implementing mass timber at scale means navigating property lines and managing infrastructure boundaries between private owners.
—Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 4 May 2026
That is not the same as using Irish as a daily means of communication.
—Big Think, 4 May 2026
This happy ending was by no means guaranteed, and Habermas’s work as a theorist and polemicist made an important contribution to it.
—Adam Kirsch, The Atlantic, 3 May 2026
Eliminating the 17-cent-per-gallon sales tax means, on average, that a family will save less than $20 a month at the pump, Anderson said.
—Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 3 May 2026
It was then used for partisan means.
—ABC News, 3 May 2026
Electric bikes, motorcycles and dirt bikes have surged in popularity in recent years and are especially popular among teenagers, offering them a new means of freedom and adrenaline.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
One chapter closes, another opens The destruction of several Russian Kamov Ka-52s using drones doesn’t signal the end of the attack helicopter by any means.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 27 Apr. 2026
Verb
Bacon notes the Department of Corrections receives almost all its money from the general fund so more money for corrections means less for education, transportation, and Medicaid.
—Shaun Boyd, CBS News, 28 Apr. 2026
Keep in mind, tulips require full sun, which means at least six hours of bright, direct sunlight a day.
—Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 28 Apr. 2026
To mark the milestone, Yellen spoke with Fortune about what this means to her and the most pressing political and economic questions of the day.
—Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026
Achievement means so much more than just the accolades, the business results and the promotions or career milestones.
—Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 28 Apr. 2026
In the meantime, read on for what Venus trine Pluto means for your zodiac sign.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 28 Apr. 2026
Booking a hotel means paying for a second place to sleep while already covering the cost of a cruise cabin.
—Jessica Mekles, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
That means the strike that began on April 4 at midnight will continue.
—Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 28 Apr. 2026
That means providing wages that reflect the cost of living and the complexity of this work.
—David Rich, Hartford Courant, 28 Apr. 2026
Noun
The sudden cancellations effectively stranded hundreds of travelers, who were left scrambling for alternative means of transportation.
—Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 May 2026
Implementing mass timber at scale means navigating property lines and managing infrastructure boundaries between private owners.
—Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 4 May 2026
That is not the same as using Irish as a daily means of communication.
—Big Think, 4 May 2026
This happy ending was by no means guaranteed, and Habermas’s work as a theorist and polemicist made an important contribution to it.
—Adam Kirsch, The Atlantic, 3 May 2026
Eliminating the 17-cent-per-gallon sales tax means, on average, that a family will save less than $20 a month at the pump, Anderson said.
—Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 3 May 2026
It was then used for partisan means.
—ABC News, 3 May 2026
Electric bikes, motorcycles and dirt bikes have surged in popularity in recent years and are especially popular among teenagers, offering them a new means of freedom and adrenaline.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
One chapter closes, another opens The destruction of several Russian Kamov Ka-52s using drones doesn’t signal the end of the attack helicopter by any means.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 27 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for means
Verb
-
This rating signifies protection against wind, water, extreme temperatures, and blowing dust—essentially, all the environmental factors that would typically be a death sentence for more delicate electronics.—
Brian Westover,
PC Magazine,
30 Apr. 2026
-
In the world of flags, flying the Union Jack upside down literally signifies a situation of distress.—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The exit consultation matters as much as the intake.—
Lauren Schuster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
6 May 2026
-
Fabric still matters, but the conversation is more nuanced than simply choosing natural over synthetic.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Flow Space,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
In a court filing Tuesday, prosecutors said Fairley intends to plead guilty in the sports betting case and a separate case in which he and others are accused of scheming to obtain nonpublic information to bet on college basketball and Chinese Basketball Association games.—
Michael R. Sisak,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Overall, Barclays intends to return more than £15 billion of capital to shareholders between 2026 and 2028.—
Chloe Taylor,Hugh Leask,Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Even though Kapelovitz claimed that Walgren is biased in favor of the prosecution, his absolute zeal for restoring criminals, no matter how awful their crimes, indicates that he himself may be biased in favor of defendants, which again calls into question his ability to rule impartially.—
Rafael Perez,
Daily News,
7 May 2026
-
Evidence indicates the shooting took place near where the man was found, according to the incident report.—
Kendrick Calfee
May 7,
Kansas City Star,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
Colorado voters could head to the polls this November to weigh a ballot measure that would permit the state to redraw its congressional map before the 2028 election cycle.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
2 May 2026
-
The measure, if approved for the ballot and passed by voters, would overturn the congressional map Missouri Republicans passed to oust Kansas City’s long-term Democratic Representative Emanuel Cleaver.—
Jack Harvel,
Kansas City Star,
2 May 2026
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
-
Consumers’ coffers have been buffered by larger tax refunds, wage gains (although slowing), and wealth boosts (particularly for upper-income consumers).—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
8 May 2026
-
Markets shift and headlines fade, but the core principles of building long-term wealth remain constant.—
Davis Giangiulio,
CNBC,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
The cancellation of the Louisiana event implies that there might be more uncertainty there than O’Neil has been willing to admit.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
-
But that quote implies the chaos always works in the opposite direction to the plan.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Means.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/means. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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