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 To remain relevant, rising software developers should think like a CEO more than a CIO, knowing the sector the business operates in and staying on top of developments and trends in that sector. — Alberto Lugo, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026 Also think about what happens if someone cuts the power or the neighborhood has an outage. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2026 Within the 350-hectare Tanjung Kelayang Reserve, which lines the coast, two green-thinking hotels have been built within its grounds. — Claire Turrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026 The Hunga caldera is thought to have collapsed even as the volcano was erupting. — Yook Ji Hun, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for think
Recent Examples of Synonyms for think
Verb
  • The Kohs and their friends believe schooling is a route to class ascension.
    — Sanjena Sathian, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Psychologists have long documented what happens when people believe they are being watched.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The variation is significant enough that guessing isn’t a great strategy.
    — Gretchen Wittenmyer-Stone, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Kids guess, get things wrong, try again, argue about why and eventually figure something out.
    — Dr. Edith Bracho-Sanchez, CNN Money, 21 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 25 Sep. 2026.

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