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
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And people later reported that summit saying, oh, Trump was threatening to leave NATO.Susan Page, USA TODAY, 1 Nov. 2024
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The actress and pro partner Brandon made it to the top of the leader board, tying with NFL star Danny Amendola. Flips, lifts, and punches, oh my!Calie Schepp, EW.com, 23 Oct. 2024
Noun
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The first reason that alcohol should be cut out to lose fat is that it’s filled with empty calories.Fred Sassani, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
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This stems from the dual challenges of attracting and retaining women in STEM, with many women citing a lack of equity and exclusion as reasons for leaving tech.Corinne Post, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
Noun
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But vagrancy largely remains a mystery to scientists.Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Nov. 2024
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The exact cause of the large freighter’s demise during the storm remains a mystery.The Arizona Republic, The Arizona Republic, 22 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Authorities did not immediately release any other information about the man, including his identity, or offer a possible motive in the case.Rick Hurd, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
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Although police did not disclose a potential motive, Martínez Mayen said the family believes the slaying was over money.Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 12 Nov. 2024
Interjection
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But hey, at least the look-alikes got to queen out to Patel’s Slumdog Millionaire dance.Michael Savio, Vulture, 15 Nov. 2024
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Voice 1: Everybody was trying to get people’s attention, like, hey, here comes the wave, and then the first one kind of slapped against the door.Outside Online, Outside Online, 13 Nov. 2024
Interjection
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Amenities include unlimited firewood, clean bathrooms, and drinkable well water. Campfire Ranch plans to open another hut outside Crested Butte and is looking for additional Colorado locations.Margaret Jackson, The Denver Post, 13 Nov. 2024
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Last season, the inaugural in-season tournament was called, well, the NBA In-Season Tournament.Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 12 Nov. 2024
Interjection
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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
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This critique, people looking at what’s happening in Ukraine and saying, gee, we’ve been told for the last ten years that boycott, divestment and sanctions are a terrible, illiberal idea.Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 8 Mar. 2022
Thesaurus Entries Near why
Cite this Entry
“Why.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/why. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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