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
Food is a means to an end, particularly for less affluent men.
—Ashley Milne-Tyte, NPR, 19 Feb. 2025
Does the leader only want to focus on profit, and are workers and customers simply a means to an end?
—Wayne Elsey, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025
So Friday’s three-team deal was just a means to an end, with the Hawks acting as a way station for the Colorado Avalanche and Carolina Hurricanes to swap blockbuster players Mikko Rantanen and Martin Nečas.
—Phil Thompson, Chicago Tribune, 28 Jan. 2025
Art for the Nazis was a means to an end rather than a worthy pursuit of self-expression, with the objective being assertion of power and a rigid set of ethnocultural norms.
—Lewis Gordon, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for a means to an end
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Ashley Milne-Tyte, NPR, 19 Feb. 2025
Does the leader only want to focus on profit, and are workers and customers simply a means to an end?
—Wayne Elsey, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025
So Friday’s three-team deal was just a means to an end, with the Hawks acting as a way station for the Colorado Avalanche and Carolina Hurricanes to swap blockbuster players Mikko Rantanen and Martin Nečas.
—Phil Thompson, Chicago Tribune, 28 Jan. 2025
Art for the Nazis was a means to an end rather than a worthy pursuit of self-expression, with the objective being assertion of power and a rigid set of ethnocultural norms.
—Lewis Gordon, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for a means to an end
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 28 Feb. 2025.
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