a means to an end
noun phrase
: something done only to produce a desired result
Computers have always been a means to an end for [George] Lucas: telling stories.—
David A. Kaplan
David A. KaplanExamples of a means to an end in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Not in service of a selfish goal, but in mutuality and recognition of one another as more than a means to an end.
—Anne Kniggendorf, Kansas City Star, 14 Apr. 2024
To put it another way, as innovation took hold, finance stopped looking like a means to an end—as the word finer had once implied.
—Gillian Tett, Foreign Affairs, 11 June 2019
Remember that wealth is not an end but a means to an end.
—Melissa Houston, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024
Because millions of immigrants lacked status, policy discussions revolved around legalization; heightened security at the border was a means to an end.
—Jonathan Blitzer, The New Yorker, 17 Feb. 2024
The data should be a means to an end, though, not a source of validation in its own right.
—Samantha Kleinberg, STAT, 8 Jan. 2024
Her appearance in Mean Girls: The Musical was a means to an end tied to her biggest goals as an artist.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 15 Dec. 2023
Through the alignment of self-interest and social good, the pursuit of innovation, ethical considerations and the recognition of wealth as a means to an end, impact investing exemplifies a vision of a prosperous and socially responsible market economy.
—Praveen Vetrivel, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023
Apartments, we’re told, were once a means to an end, to getting a larger home.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 11 Nov. 2023
Anne Kniggendorf, Kansas City Star, 14 Apr. 2024
To put it another way, as innovation took hold, finance stopped looking like a means to an end—as the word finer had once implied.
—Gillian Tett, Foreign Affairs, 11 June 2019
Remember that wealth is not an end but a means to an end.
—Melissa Houston, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024
Because millions of immigrants lacked status, policy discussions revolved around legalization; heightened security at the border was a means to an end.
—Jonathan Blitzer, The New Yorker, 17 Feb. 2024
The data should be a means to an end, though, not a source of validation in its own right.
—Samantha Kleinberg, STAT, 8 Jan. 2024
Her appearance in Mean Girls: The Musical was a means to an end tied to her biggest goals as an artist.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 15 Dec. 2023
Through the alignment of self-interest and social good, the pursuit of innovation, ethical considerations and the recognition of wealth as a means to an end, impact investing exemplifies a vision of a prosperous and socially responsible market economy.
—Praveen Vetrivel, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023
Apartments, we’re told, were once a means to an end, to getting a larger home.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 11 Nov. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'a means to an end.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“A means to an end.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20means%20to%20an%20end. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.
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