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.
English admitted traveling to the nation’s capital intending to either kill a government official or burn down the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank and advocacy organization, the affidavit said. — Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026 As energy think tank Ember pointed out in April, today’s global solar generation is equal to the entire electricity demand of the European Union. — Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 18 Aug. 2026 The nonprofit clean energy think tank RMI has found that these programs benefit all customers, not just those struggling to pay their bills. — Natalie Wallington, MLK50, 18 Aug. 2026 Carney served as chairman of the board of the Haiti Democracy Project, a small nonprofit think tank focused on political and democratic development. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 17 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 23 Aug. 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

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for think tank

Nglish: Translation of think tank for Spanish Speakers

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