lateral thinking

noun

chiefly British
: a method for solving problems by making unusual or unexpected connections between ideas

Examples of lateral thinking in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Later levels require some truly lateral thinking to figure out how to use limited resources to cross seemingly impassable obstructions. Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, 27 Dec. 2023 To formulate the paradox, Susskind applied a form of lateral thinking. George Musser, Quanta Magazine, 6 June 2023 Interventions that encourage people to challenge stereotypes also foster lateral thinking—the use of indirect and novel approaches to solving problems—along with general creativity and mental flexibility. Richard J. Crisp, Scientific American, 1 May 2015

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lateral thinking.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Dictionary Entries Near lateral thinking

Cite this Entry

“Lateral thinking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lateral%20thinking. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!