sounding board

noun

Definition of sounding boardnext
as in expert
a person or group with whom you discuss ideas to see if the ideas are good My friend is my sounding board for new ideas.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 sounding board Tortorella became a sounding board during the past eight years in Bickel’s coaching quest. — Joe Smith, New York Times, 23 July 2026 Grier stayed in the league thereafter, filling roles on the practice squad and serving as a sounding board for his fellow quarterbacks. — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 15 July 2026 Subramaniam, the second CEO in the company’s 53-year history, is operating for the first time without his mentor and sounding board. — Alyson Shontell, Fortune, 15 July 2026 If Julia Roberts inspired you to give denim shorts a go, this pair is a great sounding board. — Alyssa Grabinski, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for sounding board
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sounding board
  1. expert
  2. adviser
  3. counselor
  4. specialist
Noun
  • The Wildberries attacks have played into the hands of Russian hawks who urge escalating the war, said pro-Kremlin political expert Sergei Markov.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Roman said the question will be if the defense focuses on their own psychiatric experts right away, or Clancy's friends and family to humanize her to the jurors.
    — Aaron Parseghian, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of expert
Noun
  • Since arriving in Argentina in April, Thiel has also met several senior members of President Javier Milei's government, including Economy Minister Luis Caputo, Deregulation Minister Federico Sturzenegger and presidential adviser Santiago Caputo.
    — Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Trump’s reliance on billionaire advisers and policies favoring large investors collide with his promise to lower everyday costs, as public approval of his economic stewardship sinks to 32% ahead of midterms.
    — Thomas Beaumont, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of adviser
Noun
  • After the beaver bit the child, counselors intervened and the animal escaped into the water.
    — Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2026
  • For counselors, back-to-school preparations include planning for students who may face challenges with attendance, anxiety and other mental health concerns.
    — Ross DiMattei, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of counselor
Noun
  • Torres’ departure makes this need even more apparent, as Barcelona are now left without any specialists in the position.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • While data center securitizations have been around for years, the Nvidia announcement kicks it up to a new level, and the SEC has laid the groundwork in support of the rampup, legal specialists in the field told CNBC.
    — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of specialist

Browse Nearby Words

sounding
sounding board
sounding boards
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Cite this Entry

“Sounding board.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sounding%20board. Accessed 19 Aug. 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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of balmy

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

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

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
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
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All