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

For Trump supporters, that means explaining away vexations like inflation and the war with Iran, twin anchors dragging down the president and fellow Republicans. — Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2026

In practical terms, this means disabled patrons should be able to buy a ticket as easily as anyone else, get into the venue without extra hurdles, move through the space unimpeded, and have a safe place to experience the show. — Maribeth Romslo, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2026

All of this means Owens has had to take shifts in the kitchen, putting off her front-of-house duties and paperwork to her evenings and days off. — Ayesha Rascoe, NPR, 1 Nov. 2026

An oligarchy means government by the few and incredibly wealthy. — Chicago Tribune, 1 Nov. 2026

That means the headline percentages don't represent two groups completing exactly the same number of cases. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 1 Nov. 2026

That means most California voters are still expected to work and go to school on Election Day. — Sacbee.com, 1 Nov. 2026

That means another week of relying on players like Andrew Armstrong and Cyrus Allen, with Xavier Worthy the WR1 by default. — Scott Chasen, Kansas City Star, 26 Oct. 2026

It was born in 1930 and is today the most popular candy bar in the United States, which undoubtedly means the world. — Jeffrey Steingarten, Vogue, 25 Oct. 2026

Noun

Analysts attributed elevated gas prices to ongoing fighting in the Middle East, which has damaged oil infrastructure and forced firms to take up costly means of transporting crude. — ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026

Only Washington, North Carolina and Oregon tracked rejection rates with enough detail to distinguish ballots received in the mail from those received by some other means, like a ballot drop box. — Ken B. Morales, ProPublica, 22 Oct. 2026

What hair oil means for your routine The practical takeaway from stylists is that oils are not one product but a category with specific jobs. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2026

He had just been awarded the prestigious Alfred Hodder Fellowship at Princeton University, which gave him the financial means and time to work on several projects and to announce himself and his work to a wider academic community. — Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2026

The fact that we’ve been highlighted and recognized means so much to me. — Kyle Denis, Billboard, 20 Oct. 2026

The world is struggling to figure out what the dawn of artificial intelligence means for society, culture and the economy. — Steve Liesman, CNBC, 19 Oct. 2026

The end of saving money and raising middle-class wages justifies the means, namely, the destruction of immigrant families. — Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026

If buying chocolate means supporting a great cause, why not gift chocolate to everyone in your life this holiday season? — Kate Kassin, Bon Appetit Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026

Phrases Containing means

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