rhyme or reason

noun

: good sense or reason

Examples of rhyme or reason in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Flares come and go, often with little rhyme or reason. Markham Heid, TIME, 9 Feb. 2024 Or hop from one number to another without rhyme or reason, following a chaotic, unpredictable path. Quanta Magazine, 26 Jan. 2024 Related In typical Amazon fashion, there’s not a whole lot of rhyme or reason as to what remains, with many of Amazon’s marque deals having vanished as soon as the clock struck midnight. Brandon Widder, The Verge, 12 Oct. 2023 But there’s no rhyme or reason to how these zombies behave, nor to how many Troopers total have been affected by the spell. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 4 Oct. 2023 To Coates-Clark, the increase appeared to come without rhyme or reason. Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN, 13 Sep. 2023 Chiefs 17, Jaguars 9: There appears to be no rhyme or reason to Kansas City’s wide receiver rotation. Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Sep. 2023 But, whether there’s rhyme or reason to it, he’s been clutch. Nathan Ruiz, Baltimore Sun, 1 Sep. 2023 Film stock and aspect ratio would shift mid-scene, often multiple times, with no clear thematic rhyme or reason for it. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 6 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rhyme or reason.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rhyme or reason was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near rhyme or reason

Cite this Entry

“Rhyme or reason.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rhyme%20or%20reason. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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