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
Well, thanks to the principal’s quick thinking, all the students made it out alive. — ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026 Rather bizarrely, that means Nvidia is in the hands of the oil market, because the oil market determines inflation and inflation determines Warsh's thinking. — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 30 Aug. 2026
Verb
But Johnston said the point is to get humanity thinking about our place in the Universe. — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 1 Sep. 2026 The play depends on the creeping eeriness of thinking your place of comfort has been corrupted and undercut by evil. — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 26 Aug. 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
  • If that is true, and Clancy chose to kill herself and take her children with her, was her act rational?
    — Eren Orbey, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026
  • If only the film had lingered longer on Vasarhelyi’s totally rational horror and disbelief.
    — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of rational
Noun
  • This touchiness can extend to meditation researchers, most of whom are meditators themselves; academic meetings Britton attended would sometimes kick off with a meditation.
    — Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of meditation
Verb
  • Rather than replace Diaz with Bradley Barcola, Hughes and then-head coach Arne Slot prioritised other areas of the team, believing Cody Gakpo would step forward.
    — Simon Hughes, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Too many Black women leave childbirth feeling unheard, and many doulas walk into labor rooms believing that vigilance is what keeps their patients safe.
    — Debra Eluobaju, STAT, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of believing
Adjective
  • Silicon Labs said the new laboratory expands its ability to develop secure and intelligent wireless technologies as demand for connected devices grows.
    — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Just over four months later, Google introduced Universal Cart, an intelligent shopping cart that allows consumers to add products from different retailers and purchase them through a single checkout.
    — Paulina Likos, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of intelligent
Noun
  • Yet Na also insists on treating his aliens as objects of contemplation and pathos—reflections of our own misshapen humanity.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Sister Mary Grace, 76, loves the opportunity for contemplation and the chance to express it artistically.
    — Kelly Wilkinson, IndyStar, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of contemplation
Verb
  • That’s 1 point for me immediately taken away for losing to the Bot, who gets 2 for guessing in two and 1 for beating me.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • But will the new Fed boss keep investors guessing on the central bank’s rate path and his views on the Treasury’s intervention in the bond market?
    — Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of guessing
Noun
  • The latest leg of the sell-off is a reflection of a mix of high government debt issuance, an oil-price shock that has reignited inflation concerns and expectations that central banks may keep monetary policy tighter for longer.
    — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Chelsea, despite missing out on a late move for Lamine Camara, and Tottenham have improved considerably, but that is more a reflection of previous dysfunction — and a lighter schedule — than inspired recruitment.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of reflection
Verb
  • Travelers who are considering booking one of these flights can use websites like SkyAccess, which posts available empty leg inventory for flights weeks or months in advance.
    — Elliott Harrell, Travel + Leisure, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The goalkeeping department has probably been downgraded, considering the highly promising Trafford left, and was replaced by Geronimo Rulli, a solid backup option at 34 years of age.
    — Sam Lee, New York Times, 3 Sep. 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 8 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on thinking

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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
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
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All