as in nerd
a person slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits
the candidate has an army of policy wonks ready to write for him a position paper on virtually any issue
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Recent Examples of wonk
Beyond Wall Street, the development drew fresh questions for the wonks in Washington about the American supremacy on machine learning, risks to privacy, and the very premise of truth.
—
Philip Elliott, TIME, 28 Jan. 2025
According to some energy wonks, this unleashing of manure biogas has come at the expense of faster vehicle electrification.
—Kenny Torrella, Vox, 13 Jan. 2025
But this will prove difficult for policymakers and wonks intent on measuring outcomes.
—Michael B. Horn, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025
The report is unlikely to circulate beyond Washington, where it was announced to the public—in reality, a room full of policy wonks.
—Daniel Bessner, Foreign Affairs, 5 Apr. 2017
See All Example Sentences for wonk
Philip Elliott, TIME, 28 Jan. 2025
According to some energy wonks, this unleashing of manure biogas has come at the expense of faster vehicle electrification.
—Kenny Torrella, Vox, 13 Jan. 2025
But this will prove difficult for policymakers and wonks intent on measuring outcomes.
—Michael B. Horn, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025
The report is unlikely to circulate beyond Washington, where it was announced to the public—in reality, a room full of policy wonks.
—Daniel Bessner, Foreign Affairs, 5 Apr. 2017
See All Example Sentences for wonk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wonk
Noun
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He’s also been transformed into a stereotypical, lightsaber-brandishing nerd with a wardrobe of wacky T-shirts.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Apr. 2025
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The guys who were the heads of the club were track kids; fit, secret nerds.—
Rob Wieland,
Forbes.com,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Tapping into the geek chic aesthetic, the star completed the look with a pair of black trousers held up by red, white and blue suspenders supported by her shoulders.—
Starr Bowenbank,
People.com,
8 Apr. 2025
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Flamboyant theater geek Ezra (Matthew Finlan) makes his shrieks sound especially dramatic.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
2 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wonk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wonk. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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