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
Examples Sentences
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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
-
And oh, look: another fire had started in Sylmar, to the north of our house.—
Lesley M. M. Blume,
Vogue,
9 Jan. 2025
-
Uh oh—that box of crayons has melted into a waxy mess.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
8 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
One potential reason for the unexpected extent of sinking identified in the study are vibrations from construction of new adjacent buildings, as high-rises stand on pilings that are often driven 100 to 200 feet into the ground.—
Denise Hruby,
Miami Herald,
14 Jan. 2025
-
In addition to outgoing President Biden and first lady Jill, all are expected to attend except for Michelle Obama, who is skipping the event for unknown reasons.—
Elizabeth Logan,
Glamour,
14 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Fall can be an autumnal festival or murder mystery.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
17 Jan. 2025
-
Now, a non-fictional Space Bus named Pandora is ready to investigate celestial mysteries, like exoplanets that orbit small stars.—
Paul Smaglik,
Discover Magazine,
17 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
The motive was still being investigated Friday, police said.—
Roni Jacobson,
New York Daily News,
18 Jan. 2025
-
No cartel faction has claimed responsibility, nor have any messages been left at the scene to indicate the motive.—
Keegan Hamilton,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Jan. 2025
Interjection
-
But hey, there are a lot of Marvel characters to get through, after all.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes,
15 Jan. 2025
-
Or hey, just throw on some lingerie or your best silky boxer briefs and call it a day.—
Jake Henry Smith,
Glamour,
13 Jan. 2025
Interjection
-
By Zach Everson, Forbes Staff Since Donald Trump’s re-election, Mar-a-Lago has transformed into a hub of political power not seen since, well, his D.C. hotel during his first term.—
Zach Everson,
Forbes,
20 Jan. 2025
-
But the idea that the show’s blandly macho host would become one of the most influential figures in American life would have seemed as ridiculous as, well, Donald Trump getting elected president.—
Meredith Blake,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Jan. 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
Thesaurus Entries Near why
Cite this Entry
“Why.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/why. Accessed 26 Jan. 2025.
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