thanked; thanking; thanks

transitive verb

1
: to express gratitude to
thanked her for the present
used in the phrase thank you usually without a subject to politely express gratitude
thank you for your consideration
or sometimes to emphasize a preceding statement especially by implying that it is not subject to question
likes her job just fine, thank you
used in such phrases as thank God, thank goodness usually without a subject to express gratitude or more often only the speaker's or writer's pleasure or satisfaction in something
2
: to hold responsible
had only himself to thank for his loss
thanker noun

Examples of thank in a Sentence

I want to thank everyone who helped today. There's no need to thank me. Anyone would have done the same.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
So, thank you Google for giving users a choice between sizes without having to sacrifice performance. Larry Magid, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024 Earlier Tuesday, Min took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to thank and encourage his supporters. Hanna Kang, Orange County Register, 5 Nov. 2024 Although he’s never been a ham (most of the stage banter was thank yous and recognizing the musicians and crew), Gilmour’s charisma shined during the songs. Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 5 Nov. 2024 Why does Iris thank Richard at the end of the movie? Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 29 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for thank 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English thancian; akin to Old English thanc gratitude — more at thanks

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of thank was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near thank

Cite this Entry

“Thank.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thank. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

thank

verb
1
: to express gratitude to
thanked her for the present
2
: to hold responsible
had only myself to thank for my loss

More from Merriam-Webster on thank

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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