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

In fact, a 90-country study by the Bureau for Economic Research, a South African think tank, shows half of the countries broke their own debt-ceiling rules. — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 23 Oct. 2026

DiXi Group, a Ukrainian think tank, has estimated that Russia launched 12,800 missiles and drones at Ukrainian energy facilities in 2025 and early 2026, compared with just 2,800 during the first three years of the war combined. — Tatiana Mitrova, Foreign Affairs, 23 Oct. 2026

Zelensky did not mention the ceasefire in Oleshky during a remote appearance at the Hudson Institute, a Washington think tank. — Ben Finley, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026

Last week, Niti Aayog, an Indian government think tank, shared a framework for local governments to evaluate data center projects for sustainability and to provide suitable locations, based on grid readiness and water supply availability. — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 22 Oct. 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