Definition of thinknext

Synonym Chooser

How is the word think distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of think are conceive, envisage, envision, fancy, imagine, and realize. While all these words mean "to form an idea of," think implies the entrance of an idea into one's mind with or without deliberate consideration or reflection.

I just thought of a good joke

When is it sensible to use conceive instead of think?

Although the words conceive and think have much in common, conceive suggests the forming and bringing forth and usually developing of an idea, plan, or design.

conceived of a new marketing approach

How do envisage and envision relate to one another, in the sense of think?

Both envisage and envision imply a conceiving or imagining that is especially clear or detailed.

envisaged a totally computerized operation
envisioned a cure for the disease

When is fancy a more appropriate choice than think?

The synonyms fancy and think are sometimes interchangeable, but fancy suggests an imagining often unrestrained by reality but spurred by desires.

fancied himself a super athlete

When might imagine be a better fit than think?

The words imagine and think can be used in similar contexts, but imagine stresses a visualization.

imagine you're at the beach

When can realize be used instead of think?

In some situations, the words realize and think are roughly equivalent. However, realize stresses a grasping of the significance of what is conceived or imagined.

realized the enormity of the task ahead

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 think Growing awareness around tap water contaminants has more people than ever thinking about what their shower water actually contains. Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Sep. 2026 And there is the family—the relationships, the history, the roles assigned decades before anyone thought about succession. Joy Nissen, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026 Steinbach thinks audiences look at both with the same mix of wonder and dread. Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2026 Prediction market traders now think gas prices will hit new highs this year. Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for think
Recent Examples of Synonyms for think
Verb
  • Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said Monday in a post on X that the Polish army recovered what was believed to be a Russian military drone from the Baltic Sea near the coastal village of Jaroslawiec.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Many believe that the reason the good opportunities have seemingly disappeared is because the market is too crowded.
    Justin Donald, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • For example, the panel might guess which voice actor is pretending to be a child in a group of real children or which couple will be signing divorce papers by the end of the episode.
    Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Director Chloe Okuno builds an atmosphere of dread, keeps the audience guessing and subtly underlines the film’s message about gaslighting and misogyny.
    David Faris, TheWeek, 14 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Of course, one point made in the song is that nearly every American has immigrants in the family tree, however much some nationalists may like to imagine a United States that began with certain demographics in place.
    Chris Willman, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026
  • On every other dimension, however, the Cuban state is weaker than most foreign observers realize—both those on the right, who imagine an anti-American leviathan, and those on the left, who cling to the fiction of functional schools and hospitals.
    Will Freeman, Foreign Affairs, 17 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Badio, considered a key suspect, was arrested in Haiti in October 2023 after being on the run for more than two years.
    EVENS SANON, Arkansas Online, 21 Sep. 2026
  • There will be recruiting battles and NIL headaches and portal defections and angry message boards and all the other insanity that comes with coaching at a place where fans consider 9-3 an average record rather than an accomplishment.
    Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • For the OGs, who couldn’t foresee the full scope of what this meant, the consequences might feel the starkest.
    Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Venus in your career zone forms an awkward connection to Uranus in your playful 5th house, stirring tension between what looks polished and what actually feels interesting.
    Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 20 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Think.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/think. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

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