1
as in goals
something that one hopes or intends to accomplish
the purpose of the research is to discover how the virus is transmitted
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in roles
the action for which a person or thing is specially fitted or used or for which a thing exists
still trying to discover her purpose in life
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in plans
to have in mind as a purpose or goal
I've been purposing to fix that thing for some time now
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of purposes
Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026
But as soon as one flagellar motor reverses direction and starts rotating clockwise, the bundle falls apart; the reverse-twirling filament unravels the braid and puts the cell’s flagellar motors at cross-purposes, kicking the cell around.
—Quanta Magazine, 20 Apr. 2026
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, 20 Apr. 2026
Indiana Geographic Information Officer Marianne Cardwell said her agency’s GIS data can show how many bedrooms are in homes, verify addresses and other useful purposes.
—Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
But Brenton Doyle, inserted for defensive purposes, ran the ball down for the final out.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 19 Apr. 2026
However, StyleCaster may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
—Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 19 Apr. 2026
But the administration is taking steps to ease restrictions and spur research on using the drugs for medical purposes, including conditions like severe depression.
—Matthew Perrone, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2026
For the purposes of illustrating how game theory can be applied, let’s consider a scenario where two players are, say, playing chess.
—Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 19 Apr. 2026
Noun
Princess Elizabeth and her family toured the Sandringham Park grounds, which were being used for agricultural purposes to contribute to the war efforts, in August 1943.
—Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026
But as soon as one flagellar motor reverses direction and starts rotating clockwise, the bundle falls apart; the reverse-twirling filament unravels the braid and puts the cell’s flagellar motors at cross-purposes, kicking the cell around.
—Quanta Magazine, 20 Apr. 2026
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, 20 Apr. 2026
Indiana Geographic Information Officer Marianne Cardwell said her agency’s GIS data can show how many bedrooms are in homes, verify addresses and other useful purposes.
—Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
But Brenton Doyle, inserted for defensive purposes, ran the ball down for the final out.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 19 Apr. 2026
However, StyleCaster may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
—Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 19 Apr. 2026
But the administration is taking steps to ease restrictions and spur research on using the drugs for medical purposes, including conditions like severe depression.
—Matthew Perrone, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2026
For the purposes of illustrating how game theory can be applied, let’s consider a scenario where two players are, say, playing chess.
—Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 19 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purposes
Noun
-
All of Tinley Park’s goals were scored by sophomores.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Apr. 2026
-
As the Moon moves through Cancer, your focus shifts to friends, group dynamics, and shared goals.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro are set to reprise their roles as Greg and Jack, respectively, with Blythe Danner and Teri Polo returning as well.—
Yamillah Hurtado,
PEOPLE,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The female singers particularly knocked it out of the ballpark; both deserve record deals or Broadway roles.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Kenya, for instance, plans to bring a small modular reactor online in 2034 after starting the first phase in 2009.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Asher Bende plans to major in music education and aspires to become a music educator.—
Elizabeth Marie Himchak,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The second is that Trump, as strategist-in-chief, keeps giving his negotiators objectives so implausible, confused or contradictory that even the wiliest diplomats in history — a Klemens von Metternich in the 19th century, say, or a Henry Kissinger in the 20th — would come up empty.—
Andreas Kluth,
Mercury News,
18 Apr. 2026
-
Under medium- and long-term objectives, the country intends to build its nuclear power industry by 2030, according to the State Council Information Office.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Your focus sharpens and tasks move faster as Mercury joins Mars in Aries in your 6th house.—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The funding round underscores the venture capital industry's enthusiasm for startups specializing in AI coding agents that can complete a range of software development tasks for users.—
Deirdre Bosa,Jonathan Vanian,
CNBC,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That’s not a spoiler, because the six-episode limited series never intends for viewers to entertain the possibility that one of its two main characters only exists within the other’s mind.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Hochman told reporters Monday that his office intends to seek an order that would allow the medical examiner's office to release the report into the teen's death.—
Andrew Blankstein,
NBC news,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Its aims instead are centered squarely on the importance of Josh and Melissa’s romance, the value in getting one partner to open up for another.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Higher learning belongs to everyone and CHILL at IPH aims to foster a welcoming space for curiosity and growth.—
Independent Picture House,
Charlotte Observer,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Investigations following a Russian drone strike in 2025 indicate that the NSC’s specialized confinement functions are now compromised.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Apr. 2026
-
The setting does much of the work, but the layout is what defines how the property functions day to day.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Purposes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purposes. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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