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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Trying to fit Hinduism into Western categories of theisms diverges from the tradition’s diverse history of ideas while mixing internal understandings with European perspectives and categories. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026 Algorithms can be implemented in different programming languages, in much the same way that ideas can be expressed in English, Mandarin, or Arabic. — Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 28 Aug. 2026 But alongside serious thinkers such as Rankine, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and Saidiya Hartman, less rigorous writers and ideas were also elevated. — Charles Finch, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026 Participants can share tips, patterns, exchange ideas and more, organizers said. — Aurora Beacon-News, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026 As large employers moved from employment guarantees to frequent downsizing during the 1980s and 1990s, ideas of loyalty became passé. — Matthew Bidwell, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026 The institute also aims to create an environment where researchers from different generations and fields can develop new ideas together. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026 Yet the would-be comeback albums of 2021’s self-titled and 2025’s is felt more like ideas of what a My Morning Jacket album should be than My Morning Jacket albums that pushed the envelope the way their best work had. — Ryan Leas, Pitchfork, 28 Aug. 2026 Our culture is losing sight of the value of knowledge and literacy, embracing instead ideas that are surface-level, puritanical and uncomplicated. — Mckenna Friedland, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ideas
  1. thoughts
  2. models
  3. plans
  4. notions
  5. examples
  6. goals
  7. concepts
  8. ideals
Noun
  • Jelly Roll shared his thoughts on Dolly Parton while filling in as guest host on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
    — Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 26 Aug. 2026
  • What are your thoughts about AOC as the standard bearer of the Bernie movement?
    — David Weigel, semafor.com, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of thoughts
Noun
  • OpenAI's choice to end developers' access to its models via Cursor is not a first in the industry.
    — Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2026
  • This is why the results from the MHS research preview and Anthropic’s frontier AI models are so meaningful.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of models
Noun
  • In December, Australia became the first country to ban social media for kids under 16, and countries including Brazil, Canada, the United Kingdom, Turkey and Indonesia have since enacted or approved similar plans.
    — Rachel Hale, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Several Kansas City community leaders are calling for residents to have a meaningful role in selecting the city’s next police chief, weeks after Stacey Graves announced plans to retire next year.
    — Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of plans
Noun
  • The entire collection was made from the fabrics, trims, notions, and remnants that have accumulated at its studio over the years.
    — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • De Fabeltjeskrant is designed to tap into both notions, restoring and distributing the original programming for the audiences who grew up with it and simultaneously rebuilding the property for children encountering its characters for the first time.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of notions
Noun
  • Silvester’s concept became the Falcon Study, a new interpretation of the original developed by his San Diego start-up Q7 Yacht Designs, with naval architecture by Dutch firm Dykstra, known for its work on the series of nascent J-Class examples.
    — Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 30 Aug. 2026
  • There are already examples in other sports of athletes moving between professional and college systems without producing the same alarm.
    — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of examples
Noun
  • The Sun conjoins Mercury in Virgo and your 10th House of Career, Reputation, Authority, and Public Life, helping your goals become easier to explain.
    — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Sanchez also had a pair of goals in the Courage’s 2-1 victory over the Boston Legacy on Saturday.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of goals
Noun
  • Lithium-7, meanwhile, is used in advanced fission concepts, including molten salt reactors.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Open Concepts With more mixed reactions than the other trends, open concepts fill out the top five most controversial design trends.
    — Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of concepts
Noun
  • During their reign in Hollywood’s Golden Age, their lives and cinematic work played out ideals about femininity and its expectations in American culture writ large.
    — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026
  • In other parts of the West, officials have rethought their green and grassy ideals, such as in Nevada in 2021 where lawmakers banned decorative grass.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of ideals

Browse Nearby Words

ideals
ideas
ideate
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ideas.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ideas. Accessed 1 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’

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

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

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

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

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
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
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All