thinking 1 of 3

adjective

Definition of thinkingnext
as in reasoning
having the ability to reason it's surprising to find thinking people who believe such nonsense

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

thinking

2 of 3

noun

as in meditation

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

thinking

3 of 3

verb

present participle of think
as in believing
to have as an opinion I think we should wait for someone to come help us out

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 thinking
Adjective
Credit Gus Malzahn for being proactive and thinking long-term in choosing his starting quarterback. — Creg Stephenson | [email protected], al, 22 Aug. 2019 The quick-thinking team administrator came up with a solution – flag down a tour bus. — Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 25 June 2018
Noun
In his fullest public argument yet about his thinking, Thiel and co-author Sam Wolfe write the figure of ultimate evil is best understood not as a monster or a tyrant but as a technocrat. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 18 July 2026 Now, the most rewarding part, according to Leet, is being able to share the result of their hard work and outside-the-box thinking with her friends and family. — Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 18 July 2026
Verb
Understandably, Warner wasn’t thinking about a season-ending injury. — Dan Pompei, New York Times, 21 July 2026 Jones also was thinking about the fan experience, having used his own lessons from touring stadiums in Europe to include large standing-room viewing areas on three levels at each end. — ABC News, 14 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for thinking
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thinking
  1. rational
  2. meditation
  3. believing
  4. intelligent
  5. contemplation
  6. guessing
  7. reflection
  8. considering
Adjective
  • In an article for Marie Claire, Rapinoe trotted out several common left-wing talking points aimed at scaring rational-thinking people into believing that keeping males out of women's sports is somehow bad for girls and women.
    — Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2026
  • While shocking, the Australian Space Agency said there’s a completely rational, albeit cosmic, explanation.
    — Drew Pittock, USA Today, 8 July 2026
Definition of rational
Noun
  • At his teacher’s direction, Pannakara traveled to Myanmar between 2018 and 2020 to study and practice Vipassana meditation, an ancient technique taught by the Buddha himself as core for attaining enlightenment.
    — Deepa Bharath, Fortune, 17 July 2026
  • Buddhism assumes that meditation is learned from experienced teachers.
    — Ronald S. Green, The Conversation, 16 July 2026
Definition of meditation
Verb
  • In addition to believing, plain and simple, that Shamea crossed the line with her Miss Diane tea, the newbies also seem frustrated by how much the feud is interfering with the group dynamic and the show’s levity.
    — Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 20 July 2026
  • In a Knight Foundation study, 56% of students reported believing that social media stifles free expression due to fear of being attacked.
    — Ravi Iyer, Time, 18 July 2026
Definition of believing
Adjective
  • The disagreements were intelligent, experienced, and specific — and reading them in bulk did not soften my view.
    — Sachin H. Jain, Forbes.com, 18 July 2026
  • Both Blink and Wyze offer intelligent outdoor cameras that can withstand the elements while recording activities day or night.
    — BestReviews, Mercury News, 17 July 2026
Definition of intelligent
Noun
  • Trish and Dan Bell Chapel The Trish and Dan Bell Chapel will serve as a gathering place for worship, contemplation and spiritual strengthening at FIU.
    — Florida International University, Miami Herald, 1 July 2026
  • Many crude laughs were bolstered by the attached contemplation.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 30 June 2026
Definition of contemplation
Verb
  • Open the numbers together instead of guessing from separate corners.
    — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 20 July 2026
  • The two sides disagree on what bus stops — if any — would trigger an SB79 project and guessing is conjecture.
    — Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 20 July 2026
Definition of guessing
Noun
  • On Tuesday, which was also the fourth anniversary of Uwe Seeler’s death, club CFO Eric Huwer led the players in a moment of reflection at their training camp in Austria.
    — James Pearce, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • Memoirists advise students to focus on honest reflection over dramatic events, revealing their inner life through ordinary experiences.
    — Dr. Liz Doe Stone, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of reflection
Verb
  • In his July memo, Blume said the company is considering axing a further 50,000 roles globally and closing four factories in Germany.
    — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 24 July 2026
  • This Fire sign often has strong opinions about how things should be done and could in turn take control of every situation without considering whether anyone else wants to follow their lead.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 23 July 2026
Definition of considering

Browse Nearby Words

think factory
thinking
thinking (about or over)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Thinking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thinking. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on thinking

Nglish: Translation of thinking for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about thinking

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of itinerant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All