: 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.
While Belly writes thank-you cards for her bridal shower, Conrad enters the house limping. Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025 The couple shared a meal with their guests at one long table together, and everyone in attendance received a handwritten thank-you, rather than a wedding favor, which Oduor saw as much more meaningful. Rachel Raposas, People.com, 14 Aug. 2025 Post-event, collect customer info (opt-ins or giveaways) for thank-you emails, highlights and to guide them to your permanent channels. Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2025 All at once, a generation of dazzling young people who had studied the canon in deadening classrooms remembered that poems could be, had always been, anything at all—an invitation, an apology, a thank-you note, a recipe, a valentine. Dan Chiasson, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 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 27 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

thank-you

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