as in goals
something that one hopes or intends to accomplish
his ambition is to study international business, then get a job overseas
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Recent Examples of ambitions
Instead of simply accepting defeat, the United States upscales its ambitions to establish a permanent presence on the lunar surface.
—
Richard Edwards, Space.com, 1 May 2026
Meanwhile, the unceasing churn of clothing, footwear and accessories depletes soils, poisons the water, pollutes the air, drives deforestation, accelerates biodiversity loss and generates runaway planet-warming emissions that undermine brands’ lofty environmental ambitions.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 1 May 2026
As urbanist scholar Federico Cugurullo and geography researchers Isobel Lee and Rebecca Weir found when speaking with people involved in The Line between 2022 and 2024, the project represented a strange mixture of western science fiction aesthetics and authoritarian ambitions.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 1 May 2026
This might involve a boss, because your ambitions are obvious right now.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 1 May 2026
After word gets out that Frank Capra plans to see a matinee performance, a series of comedic twists and turns determines the fate of whether the two thespians achieve their acting ambitions.
—Philip Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026
Progress slower than expected Despite this progress, synthetic biology has not fully realized its early ambitions.
—André O. Hudson, The Conversation, 30 Apr. 2026
Driven by their own ambitions and drawn into each other’s orbit, alliances shift, relationships tangle, and nothing stays private for long.
—Peter White, Deadline, 30 Apr. 2026
The funding, SpaceNews wrote, speaks to China’s broader space ambitions and strategy of injecting state capital into private industry.
—Semafor Events, semafor.com, 24 Apr. 2026
Richard Edwards, Space.com, 1 May 2026
Meanwhile, the unceasing churn of clothing, footwear and accessories depletes soils, poisons the water, pollutes the air, drives deforestation, accelerates biodiversity loss and generates runaway planet-warming emissions that undermine brands’ lofty environmental ambitions.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 1 May 2026
As urbanist scholar Federico Cugurullo and geography researchers Isobel Lee and Rebecca Weir found when speaking with people involved in The Line between 2022 and 2024, the project represented a strange mixture of western science fiction aesthetics and authoritarian ambitions.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 1 May 2026
This might involve a boss, because your ambitions are obvious right now.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 1 May 2026
After word gets out that Frank Capra plans to see a matinee performance, a series of comedic twists and turns determines the fate of whether the two thespians achieve their acting ambitions.
—Philip Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026
Progress slower than expected Despite this progress, synthetic biology has not fully realized its early ambitions.
—André O. Hudson, The Conversation, 30 Apr. 2026
Driven by their own ambitions and drawn into each other’s orbit, alliances shift, relationships tangle, and nothing stays private for long.
—Peter White, Deadline, 30 Apr. 2026
The funding, SpaceNews wrote, speaks to China’s broader space ambitions and strategy of injecting state capital into private industry.
—Semafor Events, semafor.com, 24 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ambitions
Noun
-
Senior forward Jordyn Washington, who also scored Tuesday, has a team-best 17 goals.—
Patrick Z. McGavin,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
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Beachy is worried that basic research could take a back seat to short-term goals as defined by the White House.—
Scott Neuman,
NPR,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Shopify has begun allowing merchants to accept USDC payments, and Western Union just announced plans to offer a stablecoin on the Solana blockchain.—
Jack Kubinec,
Fortune,
29 Apr. 2026
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The attorney said Bjornstad had once hoped to pilot the app with Oregon State, but the ongoing situation has complicated those plans.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Here, sheep can’t solve crimes until human incompetence forces them to step into the breach; though pushed for the purposes of fantasy, the limits of animal intelligence are a poignant factor in the tale.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
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This article is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for professional veterinary advice.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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One of the association’s key aims is to serve as a platform for the exchange of ideas, business strategies, and improvements.—
Marlen Bartsch,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Trump’s first term was marked—and, in the view of those closest to him, limited—by its dependence on Administration officials who were, at best, skeptical of his aims.—
Benjamin Wallace-Wells,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
As this Premier League campaign has perhaps demonstrated more than most others, Villa do not need to be implacable to achieve their objectives.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
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Throughout the conflict, objectives have been poorly defined and inconsistently communicated.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Esther’s complexity comes alive in her contradictions, underlining Gray’s thesis that good intentions can manifest in human ugliness.—
Chris Feil,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
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If anything, look to the new moon mid-month, and set intentions around your third house (communication style, inner dialogue, local exchanges).—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
House Speaker Daniel Perez, a Republican but not a DeSantis ally, spiked both ideas.—
Bill Barrow,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
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Infantino’s ideas and antics have frequently drawn resistance from some European federations and even the continent’s confederation, UEFA.—
Henry Bushnell,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams.—
Harriette Cole,
Mercury News,
27 Apr. 2026
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And so to watch those guys get drafted, man, and live out a component of their dreams.—
Samantha Agate,
Kansas City Star,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ambitions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ambitions. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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