the thing

Idioms

Also, the in thing. Something in style or vogue, the latest trend. For example, Wearing oversized clothes is the thing these days, or Vans and sports utility vehicles have been the in thing for some time now. The first term dates from the mid-1700s; the second, which uses in in the sense of “popular,” dates from the mid-1900s. Also see the latest.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

the thing

Or, as Peter McCormack, one of the experts presenting on the main stage, put it: “For most people, pain is going to be the thing that brings them to Bitcoin.”

From Slate ● Sep. 20, 2026

With Mallory, I just wanted to dunk her in the middle of the thing that she thinks she’s so well versed about.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026

"We all understand that this is just part of the thing," Stacy said.

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026

“That shifts the AI agent from being the thing you use to it being your AI ghost.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026

Maybe the thing that I miss the most is her laugh.

From "Popcorn" by Rob Harrell

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023