sense check

USAGE SUMMARY

"sense check" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
You can use it when you want to check whether something is logical or reasonable. For example, "Let's do a quick sense check to make sure this plan makes sense before we move forward."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

13 human-written examples

Thank you for a common sense check.

Princeton University

Sense check your forecasts with someone you trust, such as your accountant.

The Guardian

Test every assumption and ask as many people to sense check your forecasts: beg, borrow and steal expertise!

The Guardian

Thank God someone was around to give the entire world a common sense check: "Cyrus's haircut is just that: a haircut.

The Guardian

One can then do a sense check as to what will effectively turn this juggernaut of pain around and this is not a question that is readily answered".

The Guardian - Business

Sense check.

Forbes

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

47 human-written examples

Using sophisticated databases (including a file of more than 100,000 registered brands) and plain common sense (checking cow pies for tire tracks), these rangers investigate thefts of livestock and property and inspect millions of cattle a year.

The New York Times

Several different approaches are in use for the design and sense checks of the classification system, among them (but not limited to) Classification and Regression Trees (CART), Reduction in Variance (RIV) and Minimum Volume Ellipsoid [13].

Health Economics Review

According to Bob: "Shopping around using traditional high street agents, call centres, the internet and sense checking your findings with price comparison sites has never been more important in helping your money to go further.

BBC

Mangham says he's suspicious of such a high cost, noting "I cannot understand how it took 3 weeks and $200,000 dollars to look in the Apache access log, get my IP address, perform some sense checking and request the record from my Internet Service Provider".

TechCrunch

This data is then returned to the hospitals via the secondary user service for sense checking.

Annals of Intensive Care

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "sense check" to ensure that plans, forecasts, or assumptions are grounded in reality and common sense. For greater clarity specify what is being checked (e.g., "sense check the budget").

Common error

Avoid using "sense check" as a substitute for thorough analysis or data-driven decision-making. It's important to back up your "sense check" with facts and evidence to avoid biased conclusions.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "sense check" functions as a verb phrase, typically used to describe the act of evaluating something for its reasonableness, accuracy, or logical consistency. According to Ludwig, the phrase is grammatically correct and widely used.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

25%

Academia

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Wiki

5%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "sense check" is a useful and grammatically sound phrase for describing the process of validating something for reasonableness and accuracy. As confirmed by Ludwig, the phrase is commonly used in diverse contexts such as News & Media, Science, and Academia. To ensure the phrase usage is in the best possible way, it should always be backed up by facts and evidences, and not only on personal biased conclusions. For alternative options, you can rely on "sanity check", "reality check", or "validation" to convey similar ideas.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

sanity check

This alternative emphasizes checking for basic rationality or feasibility.

reality check

This option highlights comparing something to real-world conditions to ensure it's not unrealistic.

validation

This alternative focuses on confirming the accuracy or correctness of something through external means.

verification

Similar to "validation", but implies a more formal or rigorous checking process.

cross-validation

Specifically used to describe validating the method, model or procedure with independent dataset.

common sense test

This phrase is more explicit, suggesting a check based on general knowledge and understanding.

reasonability test

This alternative puts emphasis on assessing the logical soundness of something.

gut check

This option implies relying on intuition or instinct to assess something.

ground truth

Common phrase used to indicate objectively verifiable information.

double-check

This alternative focuses on performing a second review to ensure accuracy.

FAQs

How can I use "sense check" in a sentence?

You can use "sense check" to describe the act of verifying if something is logical and reasonable. For example, "Before we present this proposal, let's do a quick "sense check" to make sure all the numbers add up."

What is a good alternative to "sense check"?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives such as "sanity check", "reality check", or "validation" to convey a similar meaning.

What does it mean to "sense-check" something?

To "sense-check" something means to evaluate it using common sense and practical reasoning to determine if it's realistic, logical, and likely to be accurate or successful. It's a way of validating something against your general understanding and experience.

When is it appropriate to use "sense check" in professional writing?

It's appropriate to use "sense check" in professional writing when you want to emphasize the importance of verifying information or plans using common sense. It can be used in various contexts, from business forecasts to project proposals, where ensuring practicality and reasonableness is crucial.