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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wonk
This isn't a command-line interface just for hardcore wonks, either.
—
K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 13 Apr. 2026
Policy wonks and software engineers were turned away at the door of the conservative tech think tank Foundation for American Innovation’s reception on Monday evening, held at MAGA hot spot Butterworth’s.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2026
Policy wonks are often the main turnouts when the Federal Reserve seeks public comment on a new rule for banks.
—Tom Schoenberg, Bloomberg, 12 Mar. 2026
Rafters, ranchers, anglers, hydrologists, energy wonks, and government officials have coordinated in the past to keep water in the river.
—Pete McBride, Time, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wonk
K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 13 Apr. 2026
Policy wonks and software engineers were turned away at the door of the conservative tech think tank Foundation for American Innovation’s reception on Monday evening, held at MAGA hot spot Butterworth’s.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2026
Policy wonks are often the main turnouts when the Federal Reserve seeks public comment on a new rule for banks.
—Tom Schoenberg, Bloomberg, 12 Mar. 2026
Rafters, ranchers, anglers, hydrologists, energy wonks, and government officials have coordinated in the past to keep water in the river.
—Pete McBride, Time, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wonk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wonk
Noun
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With a mood board of influences including CD-binder staples like Neil Young’s Harvest Moon and alt-country lifers Blue Rodeo’s Five Days in July, Shabason and Krgovich summon the spirit of a backyard campfire attended by folkies and experimental jazz nerds alike.—
Zach Schonfeld,
Pitchfork,
18 June 2026
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The tsunami of interest hasn’t been limited to just Hollywood insiders, TV nerds geeking out in chat rooms, or TikTokers sharing clips.—
Josef Adalian,
Vulture,
18 June 2026
Noun
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By now, however, most know him as the lovable, cello-playing geek Leonard Hofstadter who married the pretty blonde waitress.—
Lincee Ray,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 June 2026
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But in this literary theatre geek’s opinion—and, evidently, the voting public’s—there’s always room for more crossover acts.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wonk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wonk. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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