ulterior

adjective

Definition of ulteriornext
as in eventual
occurring at a later time were able to proceed without ulterior argument

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 ulterior The Dershowitz theory does not compute because the government invariably manipulates projections about future harm for ulterior partisan or personal motives. — Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 24 July 2025 At this point, supporter opposition to the Egyptian venture appeared to have ulterior reasoning, beyond the dispute about Mashhour’s comments, owing to the club’s recent performance on the pitch. — Adam Crafton, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2025 In the larger sense, along with truth comes a distortion of it, sometimes innocently and inadvertently but, more often than not, by design and for ulterior purposes. — Eli Amdur, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2025 Last season, deGrom pitched in three games during the 2024 season after missing the majority of the year recovering from surgery to repair a torn ulterior cruciate ligament. — Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ulterior
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ulterior
  1. eventual
  2. coming
  3. final
  4. ultimate
  5. planned
  6. last
  7. anticipated
Adjective
  • This was exacerbated by Maresca’s eventual decision to implement a slower tempo in the second half of his first season, which had a noticeable effect on Palmer’s productivity.
    — Jon Mackenzie, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • But the Rams lost in the NFC Championship Game to the eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, 31-27, as quarterback Sam Darnold carved up their defense.
    — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of eventual
Adjective
  • To defend its position, Uber plans to put more than $10 billion into robotaxis in the coming years, backing the companies developing autonomous-driving systems and positioning itself as a go-to marketplace for driverless rides.
    — Akash Sriram, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
  • To continue the celebration, Stuart Weitzman will host a series of events around the world in the coming months, including New York City and Shanghai.
    — Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of coming
Adjective
  • In the final episode of her new Netflix reality show Earle Meets World, which aired in full on Friday, the 25-year-old shared a glimpse of what was happening behind the scenes after Cooper called her out in a TikTok post on April 13.
    — Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Steinem spent her final years continuing to write, her representatives noted Thursday, including her forthcoming book An Unexpected Life.
    — Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of final
Adjective
  • Blooming florals proved to be the ultimate crowdpleaser, though, appearing at Chanel, Loro Piana, Khaite, Dior, and Kallmeyer.
    — Andrea Zendejas, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The placement of that warning is the ultimate corporate shield, and the irony is completely glaring.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of ultimate
Adjective
  • The planned 250-foot-tall (76-meter) memorial arch will stand between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Beyond the Midwest plant, Aqua Metals and WMC’s partner, Liminal, are reviewing options to license the electrochemical technology for planned processing sites in Canada and the Netherlands.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of planned
Adjective
  • At its last meeting, some RBA board members had considered the case for additional tightening, saying that inflation in the country was still too high.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Below, find last-chance deals on summer sandals, fall-ready booties, ultra-cute ballet flats, and more for up to 79 percent off.
    — Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of last
Adjective
  • One of Pittsburgh's most anticipated events is coming back on Labor Day weekend.
    — Patrick Damp, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Within that, the specific element of the tracking data which makes batting so tough is the inconsistency of bounce, with a large number of deliveries either spitting (bouncing excessively) or scooting (bouncing far less than anticipated).
    — Ben Jones Aug. 26, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of anticipated

Browse Nearby Words

ulsters
ulterior
ultimate
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Ulterior.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ulterior. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All