think up

verb

To create in one’s mind; to invent.

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

Similar
come up withthink ofdream uphatchconcoct
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Meanings

verbthink up (third-person singular simple present thinks up, present participle thinking up, simple past and past participle thought up)

present singular third person thinks up · participle present thinking up · participle past thought up · past thought up

  1. idiomaticTo create in one’s mind; to invent.

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

    Synonyms: come up with

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo create in one’s mind; to invent.

Similar
come up with

More synonyms by meaning

verbdevise or invent

Similar
think ofdream uphatchconcoct
Broader
create by mental actcreate mentally
Also see
concoctdream upenvisionhatchthink of

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Bulgarian измислям
  • измислям (izmisljam)create in one's mind; invent
Catalan idear
  • idearcreate in one's mind; invent
Dutch bedenken, verzinnen
  • bedenkencreate in one's mind; invent
  • verzinnencreate in one's mind; invent
Esperanto elpensi
  • elpensicreate in one's mind; invent
Italian ideare, inventare
  • idearecreate in one's mind; invent
  • inventarecreate in one's mind; invent
Norwegian finne på
  • finne påcreate in one's mind; invent
Polish wymyślać, wymyślić
  • wymyślaćcreate in one's mind; invent
  • wymyślićcreate in one's mind; invent
Portuguese imaginar
  • imaginarcreate in one's mind; invent
Russian приду́мывать, приду́мать
  • приду́мывать (pridúmyvatʹ)create in one's mind; invent
  • приду́мать (pridúmatʹ)create in one's mind; invent
  • выду́мывать (vydúmyvatʹ)create in one's mind; invent
  • вы́думать (výdumatʹ)create in one's mind; invent
Spanish ingeniar, discurrir
  • ingeniarcreate in one's mind; invent
  • discurrircreate in one's mind; invent
Swedish hitta på
  • hitta påcreate in one's mind; invent
Ukrainian вига́дувати, ви́гадати
  • вига́дувати (vyháduvaty)create in one's mind; invent
  • ви́гадати (výhadaty)create in one's mind; invent
  • виду́мувати (vydúmuvaty)create in one's mind; invent
  • ви́думати (výdumaty)create in one's mind; invent
  • приду́мувати (prydúmuvaty)create in one's mind; invent
  • приду́мати (prydúmaty)create in one's mind; invent
Cite this entry
APA

think up. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/think%20up

MLA

“think up.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/think%20up. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “think up,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/think%20up.

Source: think up on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.