thanks

British  

/ θæŋks /

plural noun

1. an expression of appreciation or gratitude or an acknowledgment of services or favours given

2. because of

   thanks to him we lost the match

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interjection

1. informal an exclamation expressing acknowledgment, gratitude, or appreciation

Explanation

Thanks means gratitude or recognition in response to someone acting in a kind or generous way. If your favorite teacher retires, you might throw a big party for her as a way of giving thanks. Thanks is also common shorthand for "thank you," so you can say, "Thanks for helping me shovel snow this morning" or "No thanks, I'm not a fan of fudge." You may hear it used sarcastically, too: "Thanks a lot for pulling my chair out from under me." And thanks to means "as a result of" or "with the help of." Thanks to your good study habits, you're learning a lot of new vocabulary words!

Example Sentences

But that has happened this year thanks to a showdown few would have predicted.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026

Alphabet is one of a tiny number of companies capable of raising so much cash without tanking its stock, thanks to its near-monopoly in online search and credibility with Wall Street in new ventures.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026

Scott said thanks to the support network she had when she was young, she had fulfilled her dream of playing for England and winning the 2022 Euros which was the "best day of my life".

From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026

Nvidia is the world's most valuable company thanks to a construction boom of AI data centres packed with its advanced chips.

From Barron's • Jun. 1, 2026

Jonah could tell he was supposed to say, “Oh, thanks, Dad,” or “Really, Dad, you didn’t have to do that,” or even just, “Yeah?”

From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Related Words

• gratitude
• recognition