1
as in explanation
a statement given to explain a belief or act
she gave a good reason for her seemingly suspicious behavior
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in motive
something (as a belief) that serves as the basis for another thing
a firm belief that we are here on earth to help others is the reason for her tireless volunteer work
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in excuse
an explanation that frees one from fault or blame
what reason do you have for being in such a bad mood?
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in cause
someone or something responsible for a result
what's the meteorological reason for tornadoes?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in sense
the ability to learn and understand or to deal with problems
you'll need to use all of your reason to get out of this tight spot
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in mind
the normal or healthy condition of the mental abilities
was afraid that with all the stress he was under, he'd lose all reason
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in reasoning
the thought processes that have been established as leading to valid solutions to problems
in a time of national crisis we need to listen to the voice of reason
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to understand
to form an opinion or reach a conclusion through reasoning and information
she reasoned that since all of the cakes were on sale for the same price, she might as well pick the biggest one
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to argue
to state (something) as a reason in support of or against something under consideration
he tried to reason that no one in their right mind would buy his brother's old video games, but they were put on the online auction anyway
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of reason
Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 2 May 2025
The National Institute of Standards and Technology would lose $350 million for similar reasons.
—John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 2 May 2025
Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar, Foreign Affairs, 18 Apr. 2025
Sentence specific The accuracy of citations has a lot to do with whether the AI model is reasoning about information at the sentence level rather than paragraph or document level.
—Manas Gaur, The Conversation, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reason
Noun
In the film, Louis-Dreyfus’ villainous character has positioned a number of MCU loners and rejects to kill each other for her own nefarious reasons.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 2 May 2025
The National Institute of Standards and Technology would lose $350 million for similar reasons.
—John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 2 May 2025
Verb
First, by issuing reasoned, carefully argued decisions that hold the executive to account for flouting legal norms, courts can help buy time for the public and the private sector and inform them how to confront a changing presidency.
—Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar, Foreign Affairs, 18 Apr. 2025
Sentence specific The accuracy of citations has a lot to do with whether the AI model is reasoning about information at the sentence level rather than paragraph or document level.
—Manas Gaur, The Conversation, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reason
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reason
Noun
-
There are two competing explanations for why this happens.—
Hersh Shefrin,
Forbes.com,
3 May 2025
-
There might be an explanation behind this recent tendency, though: Barca players are exhausted, and some are injured.—
Pol Ballús,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
Noun
-
The motive is obvious: give third-year quarterback Bryce Young as many weapons as possible while hoping the 2023 No. 1 pick continues to revive his career after an awful rookie season and last year’s benching.—
Zak Keefer,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2025
-
His assailant ran off and a motive for the attack still isn’t clear as police continue searching for the suspect.—
Roni Jacobson,
New York Daily News,
24 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
And certainly, the Tampa Bay Rays aren’t making any excuses.—
Barry M. Bloom,
Sportico.com,
25 Apr. 2025
-
But their excuse for giving us protein every day is to give us beans almost every day.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The presence of a chemical compound used in missile production, sodium perchlorate, was considered a possible cause.—
Joseph Wilkinson,
New York Daily News,
27 Apr. 2025
-
Police said the identity of the individual remains unknown and the cause of death is pending determination by the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office.—
Sean Krofssik,
Hartford Courant,
27 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
All the Gemstones’ senses of grandeur are stunning and don’t quite match up to what’s happening.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
4 May 2025
-
Traveling the world to exotic destinations can be filled with excitement along with a sense of wonder and discovery.—
Roger Sands,
Forbes.com,
4 May 2025
Noun
-
As Prima stood in the hallway speaking to Ruth, her mind moved over the contours of the previous year and reviewed the evidence.—
Lillian Fishman,
New Yorker,
4 May 2025
-
In their minds, the miracle cure gets worse odds than lighting striking you while a meteor lands on your head.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
4 May 2025
Noun
-
One virtue, reasoning, is for analyzing the information and drawing conclusions.—
Andrew Abela,
Forbes.com,
3 May 2025
-
Former federal prosecutors and Medicaid experts told the Herald/Times that the state’s reasoning that the $10 million wasn’t Medicaid money was flawed.—
Alexandra Glorioso,
Miami Herald,
1 May 2025
Verb
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And most key is that Abby is part of something much larger, which Ellie and Dina do not understand going into this at all.—
Adam B. Vary,
Variety,
5 May 2025
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Raymond Ward wants to see solar panels draped over every balcony in the United States and doesn’t understand why that isn’t happening.—
Akielly Hu,
Wired News,
3 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Reason.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reason. Accessed 9 May. 2025.
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