sounding board
noun
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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
Scott Rosenberg, Axios, 10 Dec. 2024
But there are three ways leaders can leverage generative AI to support forward-looking decision-making that steer organizations toward growth and innovation: as a sounding board, to explore scenarios, and as an ideation tool.
—Teppo Felin
matthias Holweg, Harvard Business Review, 10 Dec. 2024
His real value is in the quarterbacks room as a veteran sounding board for Williams and Bagent.
—Kevin Fishbain, The Athletic, 9 Aug. 2024
He’s been a consistent sounding board for the rookie-contract players at the position.
—Nick Kosmider, The Athletic, 24 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sounding board 
Dictionary Entries Near sounding board
Cite this Entry
“Sounding board.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sounding%20board. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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