: a polite expression of one's gratitude

Examples of thank-you in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But a simple tag on a social post isn’t equivalent to a proper thank-you, whether that’s a handwritten card, a thoughtful email, or a phone call. Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 27 Dec. 2025 As a thank-you, Vitalant is thanking December donors with a chance to win the $20,000 giveaway. Hema Sivanandam, Mercury News, 22 Dec. 2025 The practice began in 1947, when Oslo sent a giant spruce to London’s Trafalgar Square as a thank-you for British support during World War II. Andrew Latham, The Conversation, 20 Dec. 2025 Nova Scotia provides the city with its Boston Common Christmas tree each year as a thank-you for the city’s response which included sending medical aid and relief supplies following the explosion. Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 3 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for thank-you

Word History

Etymology

from the phrase thank you used in expressing gratitude

First Known Use

1792, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of thank-you was in 1792

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Cite this Entry

“Thank-you.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thank-you. Accessed 28 Dec. 2025.

Kids Definition

thank-you

noun
ˈthaŋ-ˌkyü
: a polite expression of one's gratitude
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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