think tank

noun

Synonyms of think tanknext
: an institute, corporation, or group organized to study a particular subject (such as a policy issue or a scientific problem) and provide information, ideas, and advice
an information technology think tank
… was responsible for the armies of new political-action committees, lobbyists and rightward think tanks that poured into Washington to counter the consumer and environmental movements he helped to inspire.—Jonathan Rowe

Examples of think tank in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Texas 2036, a nonpartisan public policy think tank, recently released a 67-page report breaking down the state of childcare in Texas with references to Fort Worth and Tarrant County. — Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Aug. 2026 Debit and credit card spending also converged across income groups last month, according to the think tank. — Sharon Epperson,stephanie Dhue, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2026 Heidi Overton made the comments in a December 2023 appearance on The Tank, a podcast by the conservative think tank America First Policy Institute. — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 25 Aug. 2026 Among them was a Washington think tank that caused a stir with a paper that proposed capping annual Social Security benefits at $100,000 to shore up the retirement trust fund. — Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for think tank

Word History

First Known Use

1958, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of think tank was in 1958

Rhymes for think tank

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Browse Nearby Words

think-so
think tank
think the world of
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Cite this Entry

“Think tank.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/think%20tank. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

think tank

noun
: an organization formed to think up new solutions especially for social and scientific problems

More from Merriam-Webster on think tank

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