English dictionary, thesaurus, translations & etymology
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verb

thank

THANGK
verb
1
To express gratitude to someone.
"She thanked the volunteers for their hard work."
"I want to thank everyone who helped organize the event."
2
To hold someone or something responsible, often for something bad (usually with "for").
"You can thank the traffic for making us late."
"We have the new manager to thank for all these changes."

How to Use Thank

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo say you're grateful — or, sarcastically, to blame someone for a problem.

Common pairings
thank you thank someone for have someone to thank for

Word Forms

thanked past tense, thanks singular

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

She _____ the volunteers for their hard work.

Etymology

From Old English þancian, related to the noun "thank" meaning gratitude or thought.

Rhymes for thank

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Definitions: FreeDict original editorial