think tank

noun

: 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
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This year, a record $22 billion in debt to China is due from 75 of the world's poorest countries, according to a recent report from the Australian think tank the Lowy Institute. Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025 The Russian military will likely surpass 1 million casualties in its war on Ukraine this summer, according to one of the world’s leading think tanks, reflecting the staggering human toll of President Vladimir Putin’s assault on his neighbor. Alexander Smith, NBC news, 4 June 2025 Russia will likely hit the 1 million casualty mark this summer, said the study, published Tuesday by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a think tank in Washington, DC. Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 4 June 2025 Those include six Nobel-prize winning economists, who this week penned an open letter published through the Economic Policy Institute, a nonpartisan think tank. Ryan Ermey, CNBC, 3 June 2025 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

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Cite this Entry

“Think tank.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/think%20tank. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

think tank

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

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