sounding board
noun
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The Literal Origins of Sounding Board
Beginning during the Renaissance, a flat wooden canopy called a sounding board was placed over church pulpits, amplifying the sound of the preacher's voice, carrying it to the farthest reaches of the church. Similarly, ideas can be spread by a figurative sounding board. A publication, for example, can be a sounding board for propaganda. That's one modern sense of the word. But when sound bounces off a literal sounding board, not only does it reach more people, it also comes across more clearly. Likewise, bouncing ideas off another person can lend clarity to one's thought processes. If someone comes to you and says "How does this sound?" and leaves with his or her mind made up (whether or not you've ventured a word), you have served as a very effective sounding board.
Examples of sounding board in a Sentence
Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 19 Nov. 2025
Rodgers, in return, served as a sounding board to Rudolph on everything from football to politics to life in general, a departure from relationships with some of the players Rudolph shared the quarterback room with during his initial run with the Steelers.
—CBS News, 19 Nov. 2025
Former President Barack Obama stopped short of endorsing but called Mamdani over the weekend, offering to be a sounding board.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 5 Nov. 2025
Beyond programs, the clubs connect children with trusted adults and older children who can serve as role models and sounding boards.
—Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sounding board
Cite this Entry
“Sounding board.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sounding%20board. Accessed 23 Nov. 2025.
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