think up

invent an idea, plan, or excuse

B2

What does "think sth up" mean?

To think something up means to create or invent it in your mind — a plan, an idea, a name, an excuse, a story, or a solution. The emphasis is on the mental effort or creativity involved in producing something from scratch. It is often used to describe moments where someone uses imagination or ingenuity, whether that is a child inventing a new game or a marketing team coming up with a campaign concept. The phrase is neutral in tone and works in both spoken and written English, though it is most at home in everyday, informal contexts. It sometimes carries a note of admiration or amusement at the cleverness or audacity of what someone has invented — 'How did you ever think that up?' is a very natural way to express impressed surprise.

Examples

How to use it

think up + noun object

The most common structure, used when the invented thing is expressed as a noun phrase after the particle.

The team took all afternoon to think up a name for the new product.

think + pronoun + up

When the object is a pronoun, it must go between the verb and the particle — never after 'up'.

We needed a slogan, so she thought one up in about ten minutes.

think + short noun object + up

Short noun objects can also appear between the verb and particle, which is natural in informal speech.

He thought a story up on the spot to entertain the kids.

be thought up + by + agent

The passive is possible and works well with concrete nouns like 'plan', 'idea', or 'scheme', usually when you want to highlight who invented something.

The entire marketing concept was thought up by a junior member of the team.

rhetorical: Who / How + think up

A particularly natural pattern used to express amazement or disbelief at someone's creativity or audacity.

Who on earth thinks up these bizarre competition rules?

Common Collocations

think up an excusethink up an ideathink up a planthink up a namethink up a storythink up a solution

Common Mistakes

Pronoun after the particle

Pronoun objects must always go between 'think' and 'up'. Placing them after the particle is ungrammatical in English.

✗ She needed an excuse and thought up it quickly.
✓ She needed an excuse and thought it up quickly.
Confusing 'think up' with 'make up'

'Make up' strongly suggests fabrication or deception, so it fits better when someone is telling lies or inventing false stories. 'Think up' is broader and more neutral — use it when creativity, rather than dishonesty, is the main idea.

✗ He made up a clever solution to the design problem.
✓ He thought up a clever solution to the design problem.
Using 'think up' for physical inventions

'Think up' works for abstract things — ideas, plans, names, excuses, stories. For concrete physical objects or technical devices, 'invent' or 'design' is more natural.

✗ Edison thought up the light bulb.
✓ Edison invented the light bulb. / Edison thought up a way to produce electric light.

Usage

This phrasal verb is neutral and works in both spoken and written English, but it is most common in informal contexts. It is very close in meaning to 'come up with', which is slightly more frequent and equally acceptable in most situations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'think up' always suggest that the idea is creative or impressive?

Not necessarily — it simply means to mentally create or invent something. That said, it is often used in contexts where some cleverness or imagination is involved, and in rhetorical questions like 'Who thinks up these things?' it can carry a tone of amused disbelief. The idea doesn't have to be good or original; someone can think up a terrible excuse just as easily as a brilliant plan.

What kinds of things can you 'think up'?

The object is almost always something abstract and invented — an idea, a plan, a name, a story, an excuse, a solution, a slogan, or a strategy. You wouldn't normally use 'think up' for something physical or technical, like a machine or a building. For those, 'invent' or 'design' would be the better choice.

Is 'think up' very different from 'come up with'?

'Think up' and 'come up with' are very close in meaning and are largely interchangeable in most everyday situations. 'Think up' tends to put a slight emphasis on the creative mental process, while 'come up with' can feel a little more neutral and is often used for producing something quickly in response to a need. In practice, most native speakers use them without making a strong distinction.

Can I say 'I've been thinking up ideas all morning'?

This is grammatically possible but sounds a little unnatural. The present perfect continuous ('have been thinking up') is rarely used with 'think up' and can feel slightly forced. It's more natural to say 'I've been trying to think up ideas all morning' or simply 'I thought up a few ideas this morning'.

Does 'think up' have other meanings I should know about?

This particular combination — 'think up' meaning to invent or create an idea — is the main sense you'll encounter. The same general components appear in other phrasal verbs with 'think', but 'think up' itself is essentially used in this one core sense.

Related Phrasal Verbs

dream sth up
make sth up
conjure sth up

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