think up — invent or imagine (an idea, plan, or excuse)
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
To create or come up with something in your mind, such as a new idea, plan, or excuse.
Say it like a native
Textbook She devised an ingenious solution to the problem.
Native She thought up a clever solution.
'Think up' is the everyday phrase; 'devise' is formal.
Pattern: think up (something) | think (something) up
In use
- She had to think up a good excuse for being late to the meeting.daily life
- In my opinion, students should be encouraged to think up creative solutions to problems rather than just memorizing facts.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ He thought up with an excuse.
✓ He thought up an excuse. / He came up with an excuse.
'Think up' takes the object directly (no 'with'); 'come up WITH' needs 'with'.
Common collocations
think up + idea/excuse— an excuse, a plan, an idea, a name
Don't confuse it
Compare with 'come up with', which is similar but can be used more generally for any idea, not just invented ones.