Meaning of "Think up a new idea"

[Kenny]

Test No. incompl/advan-6 "Phrasal Verbs", question 4

What you have to do is to ......... a new idea that will enable us to make a lot of money.

(a) think over
(b) think out
(c) think about
(d) think up

Test No. incompl/advan-6 "Phrasal Verbs", answer 4

What you have to do is to think up a new idea that will enable us to make a lot of money.

Correct answer: (d) think up

Your answer was: incorrect
What you have to do is to think over a new idea that will enable us to make a lot of money.
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What does this expression mean?

Ken

[Alan]

This means try hard to imagine something new whereas think over means consider or reflect on.
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[Kenshin]

Cheers

[Haihao]

Hi,

I could feel 'think out' inferior to 'think up' here, but I didn't know why. I thought 'think out' could mean 'design' or something as well. Is it because 'think up a new idea' is more natural in 'soundling' but not necessarily in meaning?

haiaho

[Alan]

Hi,

'Think up' in this sentence clearly strikes the right note having the sense of imagining or creating in your mind a new concept. 'Think out' has very much the sense of considering something fully together with connected implications and is close to the idea of 'think through'.

A
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[Lucci]

what about ""think about"? why isn't it correct?

[Volpi]

I have the same question: could we use think about?

[Torsten]

To think about something and to think something up are different things. When you think about something, you just ponder it. When you think something up, you create it in your mind as Alan explained.
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[Hieupt]

... so "think up" ~~ "think of"...
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Thank you very much,
Hieu Phan.

P/s: Please just correct if I'm wrong somewhere!