mean business

Idioms  

1. Be in earnest. For example, He really means business with this deadline. This idiom uses business in the sense of “a serious endeavor.” [Mid-1800s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mean business

No-one was quite sure what to expect from the co-hosts but, 90 minutes later, they were left in no doubt the USA mean business.

From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026

I was usually the only one in the weights room but Alex and Emmanuel would come in and do work-outs and I remember thinking 'wow, they mean business'.

From BBC ● Apr. 17, 2026

Drones and anti-drones mean business for a host of defense startups and established players.

From Barron's ● Feb. 11, 2026

“Union baristas mean business and are ready to do whatever it takes to win a fair contract,” Eisen said in a statement.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2025

Math was my specialty—you spend enough time at the cash register and you learn to love numbers, because each and every one means dollars and cents, and enough of those mean business is booming.

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda