sounding board

noun

1
a
: a structure behind or over a pulpit, rostrum, or platform to give distinctness and sonority to sound
b
: a device or agency that helps propagate opinions or utterances
c
: a person or group on whom one tries out an idea or opinion as a means of evaluating it
2

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The Literal Origins of Sounding Board

Beginning during the Renaissance, a flat wooden canopy called a sounding board was placed over church pulpits, amplifying the sound of the preacher's voice, carrying it to the farthest reaches of the church. Similarly, ideas can be spread by a figurative sounding board. A publication, for example, can be a sounding board for propaganda. That's one modern sense of the word. But when sound bounces off a literal sounding board, not only does it reach more people, it also comes across more clearly. Likewise, bouncing ideas off another person can lend clarity to one's thought processes. If someone comes to you and says "How does this sound?" and leaves with his or her mind made up (whether or not you've ventured a word), you have served as a very effective sounding board.

Examples of sounding board in a Sentence

My friend is my sounding board for new ideas.
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.
The group included Matthew and Brady Tkachuk, who became sounding boards for a young Vansaghi, who went on to attend the U.S. National Development Program (USNDP) and Michigan State University. Jeremy Rutherford, New York Times, 12 July 2025 Laffont and Parker are Renée’s primary sounding boards for their investigation into Driscoll, Olivas, and the other dirty cops, and Rawls pounds the pavement to search for witnesses and suspects to their various cold cases. Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 11 July 2025 My hope is that George and others Sanders trusts remain sounding boards, providing advice. Troy Renck, Denver Post, 9 July 2025 Beyond being a sounding board for health questions, AI is also expanding into physical clinics. Alexa Mikhail, Fortune, 3 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for sounding board

Word History

First Known Use

1729, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of sounding board was in 1729

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Cite this Entry

“Sounding board.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sounding%20board. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

sounding board

noun
1
: a structure behind or over a speaker's platform to make sound uttered from it clear
2
: a means for helping to spread opinions
3
: a person or group on whom new ideas or opinions are tested

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