mean to

Idioms  

1. Intend to, as in I meant to go running this morning but got up too late, or I'm sorry I broke it—I didn't mean to. This idiom was first recorded in 1560.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mean to

What does it even mean to say an AI believes something?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

However, we still don’t know what accumulative stone throwing sites might mean to the chimpanzees themselves nor why they do it.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 28, 2026

A spokesperson for National Trust Cymru acknowledged how much the horses mean to people visiting Rhossili but said "at no stage" had it asked for them to be removed.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

And if so, what would this mean to my angel boyfriend whom I deeply loved, but had mutually bonded with over not wanting marriage?

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

You mean to tell me I was stuck feeding baby goats at the petting zoo when I could’ve been riding dragons?

From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas