How to Use an end in itself in a Sentence

an end in itself

noun phrase
  • When there are too many rules, process becomes an end in itself.
    — Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Virtue is not a luxury or an end in itself.
    — CBS News, 19 Mar. 2026
  • Oyeyemi is drawn to complication as an end in itself.
    — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
  • Treat process as a way to keep work moving safely and efficiently toward the goal, not as an end in itself.
    — Lindsay Phillips, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
  • The show delivered a powerful visual impact but not as an end in itself.
    — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 2 Mar. 2026
  • For moderates, compromise is an end in itself.
    — Abby McCloskey, Twin Cities, 7 May 2026
  • Embrace the challenge — not as an end in itself, but as the necessary step toward meaningful growth.
    — Bill Gurley, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2026
  • Economic well-being risks becoming an end in itself rather than a means to human flourishing.
    — Kenneth Zagacki, Chicago Tribune, 22 Feb. 2026
  • So the talks in Muscat could be the beginning of a more formal negotiation process, rather than an end in itself.
    — Kim Hjelmgaard, USA Today, 6 Feb. 2026
  • Now, hardship seems to be an end in itself, a battle scar or badge of honor that distinguishes true backpackers from mere pretenders.
    — Tim Brinkhof, Time, 4 May 2026
  • To his credit, the mayor initially framed taxation as a tool to achieve affordability and not an end in itself.
    — Steven Fulop, New York Daily News, 8 Mar. 2026
  • The exacting, obsessive thoroughness with which Cameron has imagined this world is not an end in itself, however.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 Dec. 2025
  • But the leaders of the Islamic Republic have not wavered in their valorization of resistance, as an end in itself.
    — Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2026
  • First, when young children in these states were flagged as at risk for reading difficulties, schools were expected to provide additional reading instruction – rather than treating screening as an end in itself.
    — Eric Hengyu Hu, The Conversation, 12 Feb. 2026
  • And this is not an end in itself; NASA believes the knowledge gained from establishing such an outpost will help humanity make the next giant leap — to Mars.
    — Mike Wall, Space.com, 4 July 2026
  • What is clear is that Oklahoma has become a central player in a national strategy that treats detention not as a means of ensuring public safety, but as an end in itself, a system designed to pressure immigrants into giving up their legal claims and leaving the country voluntarily.
    — Ben Fenwick, Oklahoma Watch, 13 Feb. 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'an end in itself.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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