the thing

Idioms  

1. 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.

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Example Sentences

But if that was the thing that you hated doing and weren’t good at, then you can get some help with that.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

But TurboQuant doesn’t look like it will be the thing that kills the momentum.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

"But the thing I found myself reading over and over again were the six chapters early on in the Fellowship that y'all never developed into the first movie back in the day."

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

“When the time is right, I will be. But right now, just trying to be in the present moment and focus on this. But the thing is my kids do come first.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

And that was the thing about laughter, he remembered: When one was already laughing, everything seemed a thousand times funnier.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman