as in nerd
a person slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits
the candidate has an army of policy wonks ready to write for him a position paper on virtually any issue
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Recent Examples of wonk
Beyond Wall Street, the development drew fresh questions for the wonks in Washington about the American supremacy on machine learning, risks to privacy, and the very premise of truth.
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Philip Elliott, TIME, 28 Jan. 2025
According to some energy wonks, this unleashing of manure biogas has come at the expense of faster vehicle electrification.
—Kenny Torrella, Vox, 13 Jan. 2025
But this will prove difficult for policymakers and wonks intent on measuring outcomes.
—Michael B. Horn, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025
The report is unlikely to circulate beyond Washington, where it was announced to the public—in reality, a room full of policy wonks.
—Daniel Bessner, Foreign Affairs, 5 Apr. 2017
See All Example Sentences for wonk
Philip Elliott, TIME, 28 Jan. 2025
According to some energy wonks, this unleashing of manure biogas has come at the expense of faster vehicle electrification.
—Kenny Torrella, Vox, 13 Jan. 2025
But this will prove difficult for policymakers and wonks intent on measuring outcomes.
—Michael B. Horn, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025
The report is unlikely to circulate beyond Washington, where it was announced to the public—in reality, a room full of policy wonks.
—Daniel Bessner, Foreign Affairs, 5 Apr. 2017
See All Example Sentences for wonk
Cite this Entry
“Wonk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wonk. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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