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• think tank
  think tank

  noun

  a research institute or organization employed to solve complex problems or predict or plan future developments, as in military, political, or social areas.
• think-tank
  think-tank

  noun

  a group of specialists organized by a business enterprise, governmental body, etc, and commissioned to undertake intensive study and research into specified problems

think tank

American  

noun

• think tanks
  plural

1. a research institute or organization employed to solve complex problems or predict or plan future developments, as in military, political, or social areas.

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think-tank British  

noun

1. informal a group of specialists organized by a business enterprise, governmental body, etc, and commissioned to undertake intensive study and research into specified problems

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think tank Cultural  

1. An institution in which scholars pursue research in public policy. Largely funded by endowments and grants, think tanks work to improve public awareness of policy issues (through publications) and to influence the government to act upon issues of national importance. (See power elite.)

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think tank Idioms  

1. A group or organization dedicated to problem-solving and research, especially in such areas as technology, social or political strategy, and the military. For example, The congressional leaders rely too heavily on that conservative think tank. This term originated about 1900 as a facetious colloquialism for brain and was given its new meaning about 1950.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• think tanks
  plural

Etymology

Origin of think tank

1900–05 for earlier sense “brain”; 1955–60 for current sense

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

think tank think-tank

The benchmarks for the contemporary understanding of the American middle class evolved in the 20th century, said Sam Pizzigati, an associate fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies, a progressive think tank.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026

The Ifo Institute, a German economics think tank, on Thursday raised its expectations for growth this year, noting that orders have steadily improved and export expectations have recently climbed significantly.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

Yet, "very few recent G20 meetings have produced significant breakthroughs, and it's unlikely that this one will," said James Lindsay of the Council on Foreign Relations think tank.

From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026

Atlas works in the shadows as “a think tank that creates think tanks,” and trains its partners on “how to win the battle for hearts and minds.”

From Salon ● Sep. 1, 2026

Mr. Golden, still getting maximum usage from his beloved Grade Sorter, raved about the design to one of his former classmates, the director of a big city think tank in Richmond, Virginia.

From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles

The figures have been much the same for years, both at Gallup and when tracked by the Employee Benefit Research Institute, a think-tank.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026

Paul Johnson, former director of think-tank the Institute for Fiscal Studies, sees this as a positive.

From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026

That could see a left-wing figure like Angela Rayner or Ed Miliband joining any race, Labour's former policy director Andrew Fisher told a think-tank event this week.

From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026

Uttar Pradesh is especially vulnerable because of its vast exposed population, dependence on outdoor work and limited access to cooling for millions of households, according to think-tank Climate Trends.

From BBC ● Jun. 1, 2026

And now," Filmer was drawling on, "while you and me are on this sort of house-cleaning spell,186 let me drop another item of interest into your think-tank.

From Joyce of the North Woods by Harriet T. (Harriet Theresa) Comstock