ideas

noun

plural of idea
1
as in thoughts
something imagined or pictured in the mind my idea of the perfect vacation spot is an uncrowded, unspoiled beach

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in models
someone of such unequaled perfection as to deserve imitation Helen Keller remains my idea of a person with indomitable spirit

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3
as in plans
something that one hopes or intends to accomplish the idea is to get the information without seeming to be nosy

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of ideas When teams stay genuinely curious and learn to challenge ideas without challenging people, disagreement becomes a tool for better thinking and can actually strengthen trust. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026 Santoyo supports meeting regularly with students and the community to exchange ideas and concerns. — Sophia Veneziano, San Antonio Express-News, 16 Oct. 2026 These ideas appeared far less often in our participants’ explanations of what teaching resembles. — Gustavo E. Fischman, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026 But Coker said school board members should be able to explore ideas, ask difficult questions, and evaluate options without every preliminary discussion being characterized as a predetermined course of action. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Oct. 2026 The year-over-year tightening of global stocks in 2026/27 may be encouraging higher price ideas, but as values have climbed higher, there have been recurrent pullbacks from the buying side. — Sj Guest Editorial, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026 Similar ideas are being voiced in Asia, especially in South Korea, raising the prospect of a cascade of allied proliferation. — Ivo H. Daalder, Foreign Affairs, 16 Oct. 2026 Paraphrasing typically restates the original information in more relevant language while retaining key ideas. — Ethan Stone, Kansas City Star, 16 Oct. 2026 Though the film is now regarded as one of the greatest works of the 21st century, when Del Toro set out to make it, the industry was not receptive to his ideas. — Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ideas
  1. thoughts
  2. models
  3. plans
  4. notions
  5. examples
  6. goals
  7. concepts
  8. ideals
Noun
  • This is the ability to reframe thoughts and physical signs that could be interpreted as anxiety in a less threatening way.
    — Maia Szalavitz, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • This is music pulled clingwrap-tight, close to tearing, around dozens of little thoughts.
    — Alex Robert Ross, Pitchfork, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of thoughts
Noun
  • Associate Laboratory Director Jess Gehin said engineers currently rely on models to predict how this reactor design will perform.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
  • That may sound counterintuitive, given that Chinese open-source models have won plaudits worldwide for their low costs—and that China has cheap power.
    — Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of models
Noun
  • Because the retail business is rapidly changing, action plans are expected to change.
    — Ted Kitterman, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Le Pen's plans involve billions in new spending and lack credibility, according to Bloomberg Economics.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of plans
Noun
  • Mesh, lace, metallic studs, crochet and tie-dye competed for attention, while fitted party dresses and washed denim leaned heavily on familiar notions of off-duty rock-chick dressing.
    — Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Credibility is affected deeply by strategic cultural assessments about superiority and inferiority, and notions about when, where, how and for whom the credibility matters.
    — Christopher Nichols, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of notions
Noun
  • Both examples demonstrate how local champions and an existing source of funding can help turn a lifesaving idea into reality.
    — Meng Yang, Time, 18 Oct. 2026
  • One of the biggest examples came in 2024, when attackers targeted Change Healthcare, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of examples
Noun
  • The association reiterated its support for SB 707’s textile circularity goals while challenging CalRecycle’s choice of the organization tasked with implementing them.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • That took Chelsea to six goals inside the first seven minutes of games this season, something no Premier League side has previously managed across any six-game spell.
    — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of goals
Noun
  • No accident that the likes of Lisa Yuskavage, Sasha Gordon, and Mulligan are regularly invoked in accounts of cringe-adjacent concepts like abjection, disturbance, disquiet.
    — Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Last year, Royal Palm underwent a $100 million renovation by new owner Park Hotels and Resorts, updating all guest rooms, adding new dining concepts, and restoring key architectural features.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of concepts
Noun
  • The nearly three dozen members of Troop 32 strive to live by the ideals of Scout Law.
    — Juli McDonald, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Some risked their lives for journalistic ideals, others for no clear reason.
    — Ben Taub, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of ideals

Browse Nearby Words

ideals
ideas
ideate
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Cite this Entry

“Ideas.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ideas. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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