sounding board

noun

Definition of sounding boardnext
as in expert
a person or group with whom you discuss ideas to see if the ideas are good My friend is my sounding board for new ideas.

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of sounding board As an upperclassman, Frederique has learned the value of being more vocal and serving as a sounding board his teammates can rely upon. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 7 Aug. 2026 As kids get older, parents can be a sounding board and offer advice on how to navigate the tricky situations that inevitably come up instead of ghosting people. — Kara Alaimo, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026 Tortorella became a sounding board during the past eight years in Bickel’s coaching quest. — Joe Smith, New York Times, 23 July 2026 Grier stayed in the league thereafter, filling roles on the practice squad and serving as a sounding board for his fellow quarterbacks. — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 15 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for sounding board
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sounding board
  1. expert
  2. adviser
  3. counselor
  4. specialist
Noun
  • Existing law also blocks most states from systematically purging voters from their rolls within 90 days of an election, said David Becker, an election law expert who leads the Center for Election Innovation and Research.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Laboratory officials declined to provide details, citing privacy concerns, but said experts from India, China, the United States, Singapore and South Korea were assisting with the work.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of expert
Noun
  • Temkin will remain with the museum as strategic adviser to its director, Christophe Cherix, and is expected to lead the programming for the institution’s hundredth anniversary in 2029.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 28 Sep. 2026
  • On the same day, HHS senior adviser Calley Means doubled down on the claim, posting on X that Kennedy is doing so well that Democratic operatives are slamming the FDA for doing its job by conducting food recalls.
    — Stephanie Armour, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of adviser
Noun
  • The camp is seeking to reorganize after 27 campers and counselors died in the 2025 Guadalupe River flood; a state legislative probe found an earlier evacuation could have saved every life.
    — Jim Vertuno, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Twenty-five campers and two counselors were killed when the river surged over its banks in the pre-dawn hours of July 4, 2025.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of counselor
Noun
  • DeFoe has very limited experience fishing at Lake Hamilton, but his partner Gill is one of the most formidable specialists with forward-facing sonar.
    — Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 27 Sep. 2026
  • But his facility, Martyr Mohamed Hayel hospital, lacks intensive care specialists and doesn’t have enough generators to keep all departments running if the power goes out.
    — Fatma Khaled, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of specialist

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sounding board
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Cite this Entry

“Sounding board.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sounding%20board. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

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