as in nerds
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 wonks
Some industry insiders and policy wonks will say the public needs a few economics lessons.
—
Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 24 Oct. 2025
But there’s no way, the GTW accounting wonks insist, that the Buffs’ bean-counters would ever let CU give up a home game, and a home gate, for a jaunt across the pond.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 11 Oct. 2025
Don’t look now, but the wonks have come out with a way to measure how well AI entities do at forming relationships with people.
—John Werner, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 24 Oct. 2025
But there’s no way, the GTW accounting wonks insist, that the Buffs’ bean-counters would ever let CU give up a home game, and a home gate, for a jaunt across the pond.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 11 Oct. 2025
Don’t look now, but the wonks have come out with a way to measure how well AI entities do at forming relationships with people.
—John Werner, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wonks
Noun
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The award for cinematic and box office achievement went to Sinners, so Göransson was able to take the stage on the telecast (as a key member of the creative team of Ryan Coogler’s film), though only music nerds would have been able to ID him.—
Paul Grein,
Billboard,
12 Jan. 2026
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Joyce nerds will recall Leopold Bloom’s visit to Sweny’s in the Lotos-Eaters episode quite early in Ulysses.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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That calculus mirrors the larger rethink going on among points geeks—and everyday travelers.—
Chris Dong,
Travel + Leisure,
13 Jan. 2026
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For several years, beer geeks got excited for beers like 3 Floyds’ Dark Lord Imperial Stout, the former Portsmouth Brewery’s Kate the Great, The Bruery’s Black Tuesday and Goose Island’s Bourbon County Brand Original Stout.—
Jay R. Brooks,
Mercury News,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wonks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wonks. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
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