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 Okay, that sounds nice, but not two houses in Manhattan, owning an Audi, and not thinking Gucci is expensive nice. — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026 David Spade thinks people have gotten a little too comfortable being offended. — Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2026 Once thought to be an entertainment sector slowly bleeding out, pinball has come back in a big way in recent years. — ArsTechnica, 21 Oct. 2026 In January 2025, a Cobb Fendley engineer sent an email to the village saying that the company thought a 100-year storm would bring six times the volume of the July 2024 flood that destroyed Jarvis and McKay’s home. — Abe Streep, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for think
Recent Examples of Synonyms for think
Verb
  • Fennel believes the Halifax team may eventually pin its estimate to within 10 percent.
    — Alec Luhn, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The Hulu series also stars Sam Nivola as a teenager who awakens from a coma after an accident believing his mother (Britton) is an impostor.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • That Bell was the inspiration for Sherlock Holmes was still known to only a handful of people, including Robert Louis Stevenson, who had by then guessed the truth.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2026
  • To keep potentially sensitive information from being accessible to unintended people, the URLs typically contain a long sequence of text that can’t be easily guessed.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 20 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Yet their willingness to talk, listen, and imagine what had seemed impossible helped lay the groundwork for historic nuclear arms reductions.
    — Halla Tómasdóttir, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The sense that a resume goes straight into a black box isn’t imagined – applications per job have more than doubled since 2022, and the average company now has 56% fewer recruiters to review them.
    — Owen Humphries, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Legislators in at least 30 states have considered pricing bills this year, including measures addressing algorithmic and personalized pricing, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Changing expectations or considering proposals without comparable information undermines confidence in both the process and its recommendations.
    — Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The music on Uncle feels innate, as if Funkhouser had dug these songs out from deep within the crawlspace in his brain.
    — Jeff Yerger, Pitchfork, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Few people feel affection for insurance companies or hospital bureaucracies that often function less as providers of care than as barriers to it.
    — Scott Levenson, New York Daily News, 18 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Think.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/think. Accessed 23 Oct. 2026.

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