as in oh
how surprising, doubtful, or unbelievable
why, what a strange thing to say! why, that's not possible!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in reason
something (as a belief) that serves as the basis for another thing
asked the whys behind the surprising decision
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in mystery
something hard to understand or explain
how one decides that a certain person is "the one" is one of the great whys of life
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of why
Filip Bondy, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2017
Jared Keller, The New Republic, 9 Sep. 2019
And the why is that it’s, unfortunately, human nature that has presented itself in so many, many ways.
—Howard Reich, chicagotribune.com, 13 July 2018
See All Example Sentences for why
Interjection
Why, oh why, do the Rangers keep throwing away almost certain victories in the final minutes of playoff games?
—Filip Bondy, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2017
Noun
Worst of all, the cult of lethality attempts to divorce the how of killing from the why, an insane proposition given that military force is deployed in the service of political outcomes.
—Jared Keller, The New Republic, 9 Sep. 2019
And the why is that it’s, unfortunately, human nature that has presented itself in so many, many ways.
—Howard Reich, chicagotribune.com, 13 July 2018
See All Example Sentences for why
Recent Examples of Synonyms for why
Interjection
-
But oh, does Sorrentino know how to apply liberal splashes of visual lushness to this pretty fashion plate of a movie that’s perfumed like one of those ads in a magazine.—
Randy Myers,
The Mercury News,
13 Feb. 2025
-
And, oh, to finish the season among the WNBA’s top five in assists by distributing to her dear friend and former Aces teammate Dearica Hamby, and to the Sparks’ young frontcourt talents, Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson.—
Mirjam Swanson,
Orange County Register,
13 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
For that reason, Richardson usually doesn't agree to sit down for other productions.—
Ralphie Aversa,
USA TODAY,
20 Feb. 2025
-
The reason was simple: the number of serious runway incursions fell to just seven in 2024.—
Harry Enten,
CNN,
19 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Why the creatures, who lived through global environmental changes, went extinct about 25 million years ago remains a mystery.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN,
23 Feb. 2025
-
But Conclave was so interesting and exciting in a completely different way — and fun, with a little mystery involved.—
The Hollywood Reporter,
The Hollywood Reporter,
23 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Deputies are investigating the shooting and working to determine a possible motive.—
Mitchell Willetts,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
23 Feb. 2025
-
Police haven’t yet given a motive or made any connection between the stabbing and the Holocaust memorial, known as the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, or the U.S. Embassy located nearby.—
Brie Stimson,
Fox News,
22 Feb. 2025
Interjection
-
But hey, will Kick of Destiny FOMO get the best of Gronkowski and convince him to suit back up?—
Skyler Caruso,
People.com,
6 Feb. 2025
-
But hey, the man clearly loves love and clinks his champagne glass until the happy couple performs another painful-looking kiss.—
Sara Netzley,
EW.com,
4 Feb. 2025
Interjection
-
Lecturing other nations on freedom while advocating restrictions at home is, well, duplicitous.—
Matt Robison,
Newsweek,
25 Feb. 2025
-
At Life Sequence, McGee and Parker get a tour from Holly (Eliza Blair), who explains that the company uses digital wrist sequencers to monitor, well, everything, which allows for real-time updates to each subscriber’s health plan.—
Sara Netzley,
EW.com,
25 Feb. 2025
Interjection
-
Well, gee, does Florida have to lead the United States in ridiculous?—
Letters to the Editor,
Orlando Sentinel,
8 Nov. 2024
-
With this approach, some jokes land firmly, some flop, some coast on everything else being funny and some start to annoy you because, gee, isn’t anybody ever taking anything seriously?—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
9 Aug. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Why.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/why. Accessed 28 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share