Brainstorming output

The answer

IDEA

4 letters. See every clue for this answer on the IDEA answer page.

Used 10 times across 7 distinct years; most recently in 2026; first recorded in 2005. It appears in 7 publications in the xd corpus. Frequency and last-seen figures come from the xd crossword corpus only.

Other answers for this clue

The same clue has also been answered these ways in the xd corpus. Answers inside this collection link to their own answer page.

• IDEAS (14 uses in xd)

Other clues for IDEA

Every other clue in this collection answered by IDEA, most used first.

• Notion - used 778 times, most recently in 2026
• Concept - used 422 times, most recently in 2026
• Brainstorm - used 311 times, most recently in 2026
• Thought - used 225 times, most recently in 2026
• Inkling - used 160 times, most recently in 2026
• Brainchild - used 157 times, most recently in 2026
• Creative thought - used 155 times, most recently in 2026
• Creative spark - used 109 times, most recently in 2026
• "What's the big ___?" - used 93 times, most recently in 2026
• Conception - used 61 times, most recently in 2024
• Impression - used 61 times, most recently in 2023
• Inspiration - used 61 times, most recently in 2026
• Mental flash - used 51 times, most recently in 2026
• "The very ___!" - used 49 times, most recently in 2026
• Think tank output - used 40 times, most recently in 2024
• Bright thought - used 39 times, most recently in 2026
• It's a thought - used 39 times, most recently in 2024
• "I had no ___!" - used 38 times, most recently in 2026
• Think tank product - used 35 times, most recently in 2024
• Creative notion - used 34 times, most recently in 2026
• Fancy - used 34 times, most recently in 2023
• Flash of inspiration - used 33 times, most recently in 2026
• Sneaking suspicion - used 33 times, most recently in 2024
• Brainstorming result - used 32 times, most recently in 2026
• Inventor's inspiration - used 32 times, most recently in 2026
• Light bulb, in comics - used 30 times, most recently in 2026
• Creative flash - used 29 times, most recently in 2026
• Opinion - used 29 times, most recently in 2013
• Think tank nugget - used 28 times, most recently in 2019
• Brain wave - used 27 times, most recently in 2023
• Writer's block breakthrough - used 25 times, most recently in 2026
• Creative germ - used 23 times, most recently in 2026
• "Hey, what's the big ___?" - used 22 times, most recently in 2026
• Inventor's starting point - used 22 times, most recently in 2022
• Inventor's spark - used 21 times, most recently in 2026
• Mental spark - used 20 times, most recently in 2026
• Birth of a notion - used 19 times, most recently in 2021
• Brainstorming product - used 19 times, most recently in 2026
• Conceit - used 19 times, most recently in 2024
• Suggestion - used 18 times, most recently in 2026
• Something to think about - used 17 times, most recently in 2023
• Brain flash - used 16 times, most recently in 2022
• "It seemed like a good ___ at the time!" - used 16 times, most recently in 2025
• You might bounce it off someone - used 16 times, most recently in 2023
• Brain product - used 14 times, most recently in 2025
• It may be half-baked - used 14 times, most recently in 2015
• Brainstorming contribution - used 13 times, most recently in 2026
• Brilliant thought - used 13 times, most recently in 2022
• Creative start - used 13 times, most recently in 2024
• It comes to mind - used 13 times, most recently in 2026
• Mental germ - used 13 times, most recently in 2023
• Mental picture - used 13 times, most recently in 2014
• Think piece? - used 13 times, most recently in 2026
• Design. - used 12 times, most recently in 2023
• Inventor's need - used 12 times, most recently in 2026
• Lightbulb, in comics - used 12 times, most recently in 2021
• Noodle concoction? - used 12 times, most recently in 2021
• Plan of action - used 12 times, most recently in 2024
• "You have no ___" - used 12 times, most recently in 2026
• Aftermath of a brainstorm - used 11 times, most recently in 2011
• Cartoon light bulb - used 11 times, most recently in 2021
• Clever thought - used 11 times, most recently in 2026
• Clue - used 11 times, most recently in 2019
• It may be bright - used 11 times, most recently in 2025
• Novel thought - used 11 times, most recently in 2024
• Possible solution - used 11 times, most recently in 2025
• Proposal - used 11 times, most recently in 2020
• The embryo of an invention - used 11 times, most recently in 2014
• Creative concept - used 10 times, most recently in 2024
• Fresh thought - used 10 times, most recently in 2025
• Gray matter creation - used 10 times, most recently in 2016
• "Here's an ___ ..." - used 10 times, most recently in 2026
• Invention beginning - used 10 times, most recently in 2016
• Inventive thought - used 10 times, most recently in 2025
• Inventor's germ - used 10 times, most recently in 2019
• Inventor's start - used 10 times, most recently in 2018
• It's all in your head - used 10 times, most recently in 2019
• It's just a thought - used 10 times, most recently in 2026
• Mental image - used 10 times, most recently in 2026
• Mental impression - used 10 times, most recently in 2019
• New thought - used 10 times, most recently in 2025
• Noodle product? - used 10 times, most recently in 2019
• Plan - used 10 times, most recently in 2018
• Result of cogitating - used 10 times, most recently in 2023
• Scheme - used 10 times, most recently in 2011
• Start of an invention - used 10 times, most recently in 2019
• What comes to mind - used 10 times, most recently in 2024
• Bit of inspiration - used 9 times, most recently in 2026
• Entrepreneur's start - used 9 times, most recently in 2026
• Flash - used 9 times, most recently in 2025
• Genesis of an invention - used 9 times, most recently in 2017
• Glimmering - used 9 times, most recently in 2011
• "I have no ___!" - used 9 times, most recently in 2026
• Inventor's flash - used 9 times, most recently in 2017
• Light bulb, metaphorically - used 9 times, most recently in 2026
• Result of brainstorming - used 9 times, most recently in 2024
• "That Is NOT a Good ___!" (Mo Willems children's book) - used 9 times, most recently in 2026
• Think of it! - used 9 times, most recently in 2015
• Vague impression - used 9 times, most recently in 2014
• Abstraction - used 8 times, most recently in 2024
• Brainstorm result - used 8 times, most recently in 2024
• Brainstorming session result - used 8 times, most recently in 2025
• Creative inspiration - used 8 times, most recently in 2026
• Inventor's "light bulb" - used 8 times, most recently in 2025
• Light bulb, in a comic strip - used 8 times, most recently in 2026
• Light bulb, in cartoons - used 8 times, most recently in 2026
• Mental conception - used 8 times, most recently in 2025
• Mental inspiration - used 8 times, most recently in 2017
• Product of a brainstorm - used 8 times, most recently in 2026
• Result of a brainstorming session - used 8 times, most recently in 2024
• "The very ___!" ("What nerve!") - used 8 times, most recently in 2025
• Thinker's output - used 8 times, most recently in 2026
• What's on your mind - used 8 times, most recently in 2014
• Bit of creativity - used 7 times, most recently in 2021
• Creative input - used 7 times, most recently in 2014
• General impression - used 7 times, most recently in 2025
• Hypothesis - used 7 times, most recently in 2024
• Innovator's spark - used 7 times, most recently in 2021
• Intention - used 7 times, most recently in 2024
• Invention impetus - used 7 times, most recently in 2010
• Invention's origin - used 7 times, most recently in 2026
• It might be bright - used 7 times, most recently in 2024
• It's formed in your head - used 7 times, most recently in 2015
• Light bulb, in the comics - used 7 times, most recently in 2015
• Light bulb, symbolically - used 7 times, most recently in 2025
• Lightbulb, in cartoons - used 7 times, most recently in 2026
• Prelude to an invention - used 7 times, most recently in 2011
• Asset for an entrepreneur - used 6 times, most recently in 2024
• Asset for an inventor - used 6 times, most recently in 2013
• Belief - used 6 times, most recently in 2025
• Bit of brainwork - used 6 times, most recently in 2019
• Brainstorm product - used 6 times, most recently in 2026
• Cerebral output - used 6 times, most recently in 2013
• Cerebral spark - used 6 times, most recently in 2021
• Comic-strip light bulb - used 6 times, most recently in 2022
• Creative nugget - used 6 times, most recently in 2020
• Creative output - used 6 times, most recently in 2025
• Creative starting point - used 6 times, most recently in 2016
• Flash of brilliance - used 6 times, most recently in 2021
• Gist - used 6 times, most recently in 2024
• "Good __!" - used 6 times, most recently in 2024
• Invention inspiration - used 6 times, most recently in 2021
• Inventor's "step one" - used 6 times, most recently in 2015
• It may be big or bright - used 6 times, most recently in 2026
• Lightbulb, metaphorically - used 6 times, most recently in 2025
• Object of thought - used 6 times, most recently in 2014
• Spark of inspiration - used 6 times, most recently in 2025
• Start of a solution - used 6 times, most recently in 2016
• Think about it - used 6 times, most recently in 2024

Related clues

Clues in this collection of the same answer length that share a word with this clue, or match its answer pattern when no word is shared. Most used first.

• Volcanic output - LAVA, used 75 times
• Volcano output - LAVA, used 51 times
• Atomizer output - MIST, used 43 times
• Programmer's output - CODE, used 40 times
• Etna output - LAVA, used 37 times
• Furnace output - HEAT, used 36 times

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