Thank

v.kind, joyfuleveryday

What it means

To express gratitude to someone for help, care, or a gift.

Reach for it when naming the act of acknowledging a benefit and the person who provided it

We should thank the night crew for documenting every temporary repair.

warm
appreciate
when recognizing value matters more than a spoken response
not when Appreciate can remain private and does not necessarily address the person who helped.
warm
give thanks to
when a ceremonial or heartfelt phrasing suits
not when The phrase is too elaborate for a quick everyday acknowledgment.
warm
praise
when admiration for quality or conduct is the message
not when Praise can celebrate an achievement without recognizing a benefit received.
professional
acknowledge
when a contribution must be named publicly or formally
not when Acknowledgment can be factual and lack gratitude.
professional
credit
when assigning proper recognition for work is central
not when Credit concerns authorship or contribution, not necessarily personal thanks.
professional
recognize
when making a contribution visible is the priority
not when Recognition may be public but emotionally empty.
formal
commend
when formal approval of conduct is warranted
not when Commend places the speaker in a judging role and can sound hierarchical.
literary
bless
when a religious expression of gratitude is genuinely intended
not when Bless introduces faith and can be presumptuous outside a shared religious context.

thank someone
Remember to thank someone whose quiet handoff prevented a larger problem.
thank you for
I want to thank you for correcting the figures before publication.
personally thank
The director came downstairs to personally thank the cleaning crew.

The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.