Problem-Solving Strategies

noun the ability to make good judgments and quick decisions, typically in a particular domain

• His business acumen allowed him to make strategic decisions that led to the company's success.
• She's got great acumen when it comes to picking out the best restaurants to eat at.
• That guy's street acumen is off the charts - he always knows how to navigate the city like a pro.
• Her acumen in deciphering complex emotions makes her a great therapist.

verb to think deeply or carefully about something

• The philosopher took a moment to cogitate on the complexities of human nature.
• I need some time to cogitate on whether I should accept the job offer.
• Let me cogitate on that for a bit before giving you an answer.
• As the artist stared at the blank canvas, she began to cogitate on what she wanted to create.

noun the act of planning or inventing something

verb to plan, invent, or create by careful thought

• The team spent weeks devising a strategic plan for the upcoming project.
• We're still devising a plan for the party next weekend.
• I'm devising a way to sneak out of work early today.
• She was busy devising a way to mend their broken relationship.

noun a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea

verb a word that expresses an action, occurrence, or state of being

article a word that specifies a noun as definite or indefinite (e.g. the, a, an)

• I believe using this new software will do the trick in streamlining our processes.
• Just add a little bit of salt and pepper, that should do the trick.
• Throwing on some shades always seems to do the trick when I'm feeling tired.
• A little bit of positive thinking can often do the trick in turning a bad day around.

noun a word that refers to a person, place, thing, event, substance, or quality (in this case, 'step' refers to a physical movement or action)

adjective a word that describes or modifies a noun (in this case, 'first' describes the order or sequence of the step)

• The first step in the research process is to define the research question.
• The first step to making a good cup of coffee is to grind the beans.
• The first step to acing the exam is to study like crazy.
• Taking the first step towards forgiveness can be the hardest but most important part of healing.

verb to reach or gain access to something

preposition used to indicate the object of an action or effort

• It took me a while to get at the root of the problem.
• I finally figured out how to get at the information I needed.
• I can't seem to get at what she's trying to say.
• The detective tried to get at the truth behind the mysterious disappearance.

noun a complex or intricate problem or situation that is difficult to solve

• The diplomat faced a Gordian knot of diplomatic challenges during the peace negotiations.
• Dealing with that issue is like trying to untangle a Gordian knot.
• Man, that problem is a total Gordian knot - good luck figuring it out!
• She saw the tangled mess of emotions between them as a modern-day Gordian knot.

noun a method of reasoning in which general principles are derived from specific observations or examples

• Inductive reasoning is a method of reasoning in which the premises are viewed as supplying some evidence for the truth of the conclusion.
• Using inductive reasoning, we can make educated guesses based on patterns or trends.
• I'm totally using some inductive reasoning to figure out who ate the last slice of pizza.
• Just as a detective uses inductive reasoning to solve a case, we can use it to piece together information and come to a conclusion.

adverb in a methodical manner; with a systematic approach or order

• The scientist methodically recorded each step of the experiment in his lab notebook.
• She methodically organized her closet by color and season.
• He methodically crushed the competition in the video game tournament.
• The detective methodically pieced together the clues to solve the mystery.

noun a magical command or password

• The phrase 'open sesame' is often used in literature to depict a magical command.
• I remembered the password as 'open sesame' and it worked like a charm.
• Just say 'open sesame' and watch the door magically open.
• She felt like the phrase 'open sesame' was the key to unlocking her true potential.

noun a word used to identify any of a class of people, places, or things

verb a word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence

adverb a word that modifies or qualifies an adjective, verb, or other adverb

preposition a word used before a noun or pronoun to show its relationship to another word in the sentence

article a word that is used with a noun to indicate the type of reference being made by the noun

• When it comes to learning music, some people prefer to play by ear rather than read sheet music.
• I don't have the sheet music, so we'll just have to play by ear and figure it out as we go.
• I never know what time my friends will show up, so I always just play it by ear.
• In business, you can't always plan for everything - sometimes you just have to play it by ear and adapt to the situation.

noun a person who is pragmatic

adjective relating to or being practical or realistic

• The CEO made a pragmatic decision to cut costs in order to keep the company afloat.
• My friend is very pragmatic when it comes to saving money.
• I like to keep it real and be pragmatic about my goals.
• Being pragmatic in life is like having a compass that always points you in the right direction.

noun the process of logical reasoning or thinking

• His ratiocination skills were evident in his ability to analyze complex problems.
• She used her ratiocination to figure out the best route to take.
• I can't believe his ratiocination led him to that crazy conclusion.
• Her ratiocination was like a well-oiled machine, always coming to logical conclusions.

noun a cause, explanation, or justification for an action or event

verb to think, understand, and form judgments logically

adjective having the ability to think, understand, and form judgments logically

adverb in a logical and rational manner

• The reason for his absence from the meeting was due to a family emergency.
• I can't go out tonight for no reason, I'm just not feeling up to it.
• She ghosted him for some unknown reason.
• Love is the reason for everything we do in life.

noun A sudden thought is a noun that refers to an idea or notion that comes to mind unexpectedly or without warning.

• As I was reading the report, a sudden thought occurred to me about a potential solution to the problem.
• I was just sitting there when a sudden thought popped into my head out of nowhere.
• I was chilling with my friends and then this sudden thought hit me like a ton of bricks.
• Like a bolt from the blue, a sudden thought illuminated my mind with a new perspective.

verb to consider or remember something from the past

adverb used to indicate looking back in time or reflecting on past events

• When you think back on your previous experiences, what lessons have you learned?
• Hey, think back to that time we went on that crazy road trip together.
• Yo, think back to when we were just kids messing around in the neighborhood.
• Sometimes it's helpful to think back to where you started in order to appreciate how far you've come.

verb to have a particular opinion, belief, or idea about someone or something

• I think it would be prudent to conduct a thorough analysis before making a decision.
• I think we should grab some lunch before heading to the meeting.
• I don't think we have a chance of winning this game.
• Sometimes I think the universe has a way of guiding us towards our true path.

noun a noun is a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea. In this case, 'trial' and 'error' are both nouns that refer to the process of attempting something and learning from mistakes.

conjunction a conjunction is a word that connects words, phrases, or clauses. In this case, 'and' is a conjunction that connects the two nouns 'trial' and 'error'.

• Scientists often rely on the method of trial and error to test hypotheses and gather data.
• I had to use a lot of trial and error to figure out how to fix my computer.
• I just kept trying different things until I finally got it right - it was all trial and error.
• Life is like a series of trial and error, where we learn and grow from our mistakes.

pronoun a pronoun that refers to the person being addressed or to the person or people being spoken or written to

• It is important to take care of yourself both physically and mentally.
• Make sure you treat yourself to something nice every once in a while.
• Don't forget to give yourself a break, you deserve it.
• Sometimes you need to distance yourself from a situation to give yourself clarity.

adjective Describing someone who is slow to understand or lacking in intelligence.

• The professor found it challenging to teach the hard of thinking students.
• Some people are just hard of thinking and need things explained multiple times.
• Don't bother explaining it to him, he's just hard of thinking.
• His stubbornness makes him hard of thinking when it comes to accepting new ideas.

noun a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea

verb a word that expresses an action or a state of being

pronoun a word that takes the place of a noun

article a word that defines a noun as specific or unspecific

• Considering the current market trends, that's a thought worth exploring further.
• Hmm, maybe we should try that idea out, that's a thought!
• Yo, what if we actually did that? That's a thought, bro.
• When you mentioned starting a new business, I thought to myself, now that's a thought worth considering.

verb a word that expresses an action or a state of being

preposition a word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence

• The candidate's extensive experience in project management will bring valuable skills to the table.
• I hope your friend can bring some good music to the table for the party.
• Let's see what kind of ideas these new recruits can bring to the table.
• His unique perspective really brings a fresh angle to the table during our discussions.

noun a word that functions as the name of a specific person, place, thing, or idea

adjective a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun

adverb a word that modifies a verb, adjective, or other adverb

preposition a word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence

conjunction a word that connects words, phrases, or clauses

article a word that is used to specify a noun as definite or indefinite

• He was as sly as a fox in his approach to negotiating business deals.
• She's as cunning as a fox when it comes to getting what she wants.
• That guy is slicker than a fox, always finding a way out of trouble.
• Her mind worked as slyly as a fox, always thinking one step ahead.

noun anthill

verb make

preposition out of

article an

• It is not advisable to make a mountain out of an anthill when dealing with minor issues in the workplace.
• Don't make a mountain out of an anthill over such a small matter.
• Why are you making a mountain out of an anthill about this?
• She tends to make a mountain out of an anthill when it comes to simple tasks.

noun a container typically made of wood or cardboard, used for storing or transporting items

adjective smart, cunning, or shrewd in a particular situation

• In order to succeed in this competitive industry, it is important to box clever and always stay one step ahead.
• If you want to win the game, you gotta box clever and outsmart your opponents.
• She's always able to box clever and come out on top in any situation.
• Life is like a puzzle, sometimes you need to box clever to find the right solution.

noun a word that refers to a person, place, thing, event, substance, or quality

adjective a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun

• The library has a wide selection of how-to books on various topics.
• I found this cool how-to book on gardening at the bookstore.
• I scored a dope how-to book on DIY projects at the flea market.
• Life is like a how-to book, you have to follow the steps to achieve your goals.

noun a French term that literally translates to 'staircase wit'; the act of thinking of a clever comeback or response too late, after the opportunity has passed

• During the debate, I often find myself experiencing esprit d’escalier, thinking of better arguments long after the conversation has ended.
• I hate it when I come up with the perfect comeback hours later, that's esprit d’escalier for you.
• Man, I always have esprit d’escalier when I think of the best insults after an argument.
• The feeling of esprit d’escalier is like climbing the stairs of regret, wishing you had said something different in the moment.

noun a research method that involves active participation and collaboration with stakeholders to address real-world problems and create change

• Action-research is a systematic inquiry process that is used by educators to improve teaching and learning.
• Teachers often use action-research to figure out what works best in their classrooms.
• Action-research is like teachers doing detective work to make their lessons better.
• In the world of education, action-research is like a compass guiding teachers towards effective teaching strategies.

noun a method or approach that is created or adapted for a specific purpose or situation, often without consideration for long-term implications or consequences

• The company's decision-making process was plagued by ad hocism, resulting in inefficiency and inconsistency.
• We need to stop the ad hocism and come up with a solid plan for the project.
• Let's ditch the ad hocism and get our act together.
• Ad hocism is like trying to build a house without a blueprint - it's chaotic and ineffective.