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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

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Etymology

Origin of think tank

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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

think tank think-tank

AI losses don’t fit neatly into existing insurance categories, creating scope for disputes about what is and isn’t covered, according to a report this year by Rand, a U.S.-based think tank.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Frankly, that might be what is required of our think tank executives in 2026, in an era of mass disinformation and flatlining public trust.

From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026

The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, an independent think tank, offers a more modest idea: Simply limit the dollar value of COLAs for higher earners to the amount received by median beneficiaries.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026

"The challenge of continuing to bring down borrowing must be paired with the pressing need for fresh cost of living support to help families facing a difficult winter ahead," the think tank said.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

During those chaotic years, as the basic functioning of Kim Jong Il’s government stalled, think tank experts in the West were writing books with doomsday titles such as The End of North Korea.

From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden

Some think-tank analysts invited to meet the Iranian delegation said they are wary of U.S. sanctions that restrict informal policy dialogues with Tehran’s officials.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026

A report, external by government think-tank Niti Aayog says some were merged as part of efforts to streamline the system, but acknowledges that enrolment has fallen as demand for private schools has risen.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

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

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

"You may wish to modify that statement later," remarked Merritt dryly, "so I will pull you in before you lose the top of your think-tank."

From The Boy Scouts Under Fire in Mexico by Lieut. Howard Payton

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