How to Use serve a purpose in a Sentence

serve a purpose

phrase
  • Clothes were there to serve a purpose, to stay out of my way!
    — Molly Greeves, refinery29.com, 24 Mar. 2021
  • In the end, even failure may serve a purpose.
    — Charlie Campbell, Time, 17 Sep. 2025
  • The phones aren’t hooked up for service, but the booths do serve a purpose.
    — Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2026
  • Today's consumers want ads that help them and that serve a purpose.
    — Beni Basel, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2021
  • Remove any old Nest entries that no longer serve a purpose.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 25 Nov. 2025
  • Donate items that are in good condition but no longer serve a purpose in your life.
    — Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 19 Feb. 2026
  • Adams questioned whether a harsh term would serve a purpose for Hopkins.
    — John Caniglia, cleveland, 14 Oct. 2021
  • Form follows function, as the adage goes, and serifs were thought to no longer serve a purpose.
    — Aileen Kwun, New York Times, 29 Mar. 2023
  • Choose pieces that serve a purpose, feel personal or add a moment of surprise.
    — Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 25 July 2026
  • Even after bolting, your parsley can still serve a purpose in the garden.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 3 Feb. 2026
  • These are solutions that serve a purpose, often in subtle ways, and then step back.
    — Valeria Balaro, Forbes.com, 25 Feb. 2026
  • But that was always just a lie to serve a purpose — creating outrage — just like these are.
    — Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2025
  • Look for technologies that are redundant or no longer serve a purpose.
    — Kim Bozzella, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Reps serve a purpose at each stage during the seasonal journey.
    — Outside Online, 27 May 2020
  • But visible mourning did serve a purpose.
    — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 18 Aug. 2025
  • But that doesn't mean expanding the rotation doesn't serve a purpose.
    — Morten Jensen, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2021
  • Some serve a purpose that’s more than mere decoration for a floor or wall, however.
    — Vanessa H. Larson, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2023
  • And the gatherings serve a purpose beyond just making the host feel welcome.
    — Priya Krishna, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2025
  • All these mental tricks and relaxation tips serve a purpose beyond that night's sleep, experts say.
    — Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 13 Mar. 2022
  • This look could serve a purpose for many things such as a performance costume, dinner look, or a girl’s night out outfit.
    — Kerane Marcellus, Essence, 9 Sep. 2024
  • Yet so much of our way of seeing the world is founded on the assumption that animals are meant to serve a purpose.
    — New York Times, 12 Apr. 2022
  • Choose furniture and decor that feel personal, serve a purpose or add a small moment of delight.
    — Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 July 2026
  • Maybe a mainstream comedy like this can serve a purpose in keeping the plight of guys like Arj front and center.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 7 Sep. 2025
  • Fant is a solid receiver who could serve a purpose with Miami.
    — Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2026
  • His principle was that technology must serve a purpose that meets human needs.
    — IEEE Spectrum, 10 Feb. 2025
  • All of that suggests that law enforcement disruption campaigns serve a purpose.
    — Andy Greenberg, WIRED, 27 Feb. 2024
  • The federal trial, though, may serve a purpose far beyond these defendants.
    — Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN, 6 Feb. 2022
  • Public sector employees serve a purpose greater than themselves.
    — Thomas Bostick, Forbes, 12 Nov. 2023
  • With your teams, identify frustrating rules — or policies that people perceive to be rules — that no longer serve a purpose.
    — Lisa Bodell, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024
  • That isn't to say that Walmart's stable of digital-native brands didn't serve a purpose early on.
    — George Anderson, Forbes, 20 Apr. 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'serve a purpose.' 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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