to all intents and purposes

idiom

used to say that one thing has the same effect or result as something else
Their decision to begin bombing was, to all intents and purposes, a declaration of war.

Examples of to all intents and purposes in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
More rarely still, someone whose anxiety has clearly got the better of them posts a photo showing, to all intents and purposes, a full head of hair. Oscar Holland, CNN, 27 Nov. 2024 The rally at the Butler Farm Show grounds became, to all intents and purposes, a victory rally. Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 25 July 2024 Many are looking no further than Bluesky, which has its own origins in Twitter and, to all intents and purposes, acts in a very similar fashion. Perri Grace, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2023

Dictionary Entries Near to all intents and purposes

Toala

to all intents and purposes

Toamasina

Cite this Entry

“To all intents and purposes.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/to%20all%20intents%20and%20purposes. Accessed 24 Dec. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!