think outside the box

idiom

: to explore ideas that are creative and unusual and that are not limited or controlled by rules or tradition

To solve this puzzle, you'll have to think outside the box.

Examples of think outside the box in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For instance, instead of trying to write a report according to a specific ruleset, do some free association brainstorming first, or think outside the box when meal-planning by getting unusual ingredients. —Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 7 Apr. 2024

However, in a number of cases, ISIS has had to think outside the box. —David L. Knoll, Foreign Affairs, 30 Sep. 2016

Further, feeling included and valued empowers employees to share unvarnished perspectives and think outside the box rather than conform to norms. —Michael D. Brown, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024

Wisconsinites like to do their own thing, think outside the box, buck the trends. —Amy Schwabe, Journal Sentinel, 15 Mar. 2024