think tank

noun

: an institute, corporation, or group organized to study a particular subject (such as a policy issue or a scientific problem) and provide information, ideas, and advice

an information technology think tank

… was responsible for the armies of new political-action committees, lobbyists and rightward think tanks that poured into Washington to counter the consumer and environmental movements he helped to inspire.

—Jonathan Rowe

Examples of think tank in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

China and India are the largest buyers of Russian crude oil, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air think tank. — Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026

Michael Strain, director of economic policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, a center-right think tank, said Trump would be repeating the same policy mistake as his predecessor, Democratic former President Joe Biden. — Bill Barrow, Arkansas Online, 11 Sep. 2026

According to Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan think tank in Washington, DC, that conducts polls on social issues and public opinion, 30% of Americans consult tarot cards and 43% of women believe in astrology. — Loren Savini, Allure, 11 Sep. 2026

Michael Strain, director of economic policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, a center-right think tank, said Trump would be repeating the same policy mistake as his predecessor, Democrat Joe Biden. — ABC News, 10 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1958, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for think tank

• gangplank
• nonbank
• outflank
• sandbank
• antitank
• interbank
• riverbank
• banc
• bank
• blank
• clank
• crank

Kids Definition

think tank

noun

: an organization formed to think up new solutions especially for social and scientific problems