Phrase guide

think up

verb · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

verb

Meaning 1

To create in one’s mind; to invent.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic

Examples

  • I can think up plenty of excuses not to go, but we really should attend.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

devise or invent

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • He thought up a plan to get rich quickly
  • no-one had ever thought of such a clever piece of software

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: think of, dream up, hatch, concoct

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: create by mental act, create mentally

Narrower terms: idealize, idealise, fabricate, manufacture, cook up, make up, invent

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

24 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: измислям (izmisljam) — create in one's mind; invent
  • Catalan: idear — create in one's mind; invent
  • Dutch: bedenken — create in one's mind; invent
  • Dutch: verzinnen — create in one's mind; invent
  • Esperanto: elpensi — create in one's mind; invent
  • Italian: ideare — create in one's mind; invent
  • Italian: inventare — create in one's mind; invent
  • Norwegian: finne på — create in one's mind; invent
  • Polish: wymyślać — create in one's mind; invent
  • Polish: wymyślić — create in one's mind; invent
  • Portuguese: imaginar — create in one's mind; invent
  • Russian: приду́мывать (pridúmyvatʹ) — create in one's mind; invent
  • Russian: приду́мать (pridúmatʹ) — create in one's mind; invent
  • Russian: выду́мывать (vydúmyvatʹ) — create in one's mind; invent
  • Russian: вы́думать (výdumatʹ) — create in one's mind; invent
  • Spanish: ingeniar — create in one's mind; invent
  • Spanish: discurrir — create in one's mind; invent
  • Swedish: hitta på — create in one's mind; invent
  • Ukrainian: вига́дувати (vyháduvaty) — create in one's mind; invent
  • Ukrainian: ви́гадати (výhadaty) — create in one's mind; invent
  • Ukrainian: виду́мувати (vydúmuvaty) — create in one's mind; invent
  • Ukrainian: ви́думати (výdumaty) — create in one's mind; invent
  • Ukrainian: приду́мувати (prydúmuvaty) — create in one's mind; invent
  • Ukrainian: приду́мати (prydúmaty) — create in one's mind; invent