as in rational
having the ability to reason
judged by the courts not to be a reasoning being who could be held accountable for his crimes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in logic
the thought processes that have been established as leading to valid solutions to problems
your reasoning here is faulty, for although all wives are spouses, not all spouses are wives
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in understanding
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 arguing
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 reasoning
Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 25 Sep. 2025
Traditional LLMs have their own set of problems, but the introduction of simulated reasoning did significantly upgrade their capabilities, and now the same could be happening with AI robotics.
—Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 25 Sep. 2025
Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Sep. 2025
In this task, intuition is reflected in whether people can suddenly sense connections between things without consciously reasoning them out.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reasoning
Noun
Similar reasoning can be applied when dissecting the playing time uptick veteran wideout David Moore saw Sunday; Moore played 56 snaps Sunday (97%), which is more than every other offensive player who is not a lineman or who doesn’t have the last name Young.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 25 Sep. 2025
Traditional LLMs have their own set of problems, but the introduction of simulated reasoning did significantly upgrade their capabilities, and now the same could be happening with AI robotics.
—Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 25 Sep. 2025
Verb
The group filed for an injunction on June 27 reasoning that the case would go their way in the end.
—Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Sep. 2025
In this task, intuition is reflected in whether people can suddenly sense connections between things without consciously reasoning them out.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reasoning
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reasoning
Adjective
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For Garner, footy is a bridge between the naturally martial instincts of men and the peace upon which rational civilization depends.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
28 Sep. 2025
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This conception of the self animates rational choice theory in the social sciences, with its reliance on the model of the utility-maximizing subject.—
Sophia Rosenfeld
September 26,
Literary Hub,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Diversity was marketed as progress but sustained with the same toxic logic that governs writers’ rooms—the idea that only a few are allowed in, and they can be discarded the moment the optics shift.—
Rochée Jeffrey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Sep. 2025
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That logic has also driven his investment in professional bull riding, which Lasry sees as an undervalued asset.—
Alex Sherman,Contessa Brewer,
CNBC,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Jonathan Kitchen | Digitalvision | Getty Images Companies are throwing lots of money into artificial intelligence tools and services, particularly agentic AI, in many cases without truly understanding what these offerings actually do.—
Bob Violino,
CNBC,
24 Sep. 2025
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This can be thought of as understanding the general patterns of life in the universe.—
Leonard David,
Space.com,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Venture Global and Weixel, of East Daley, are much more bullish, arguing that global demand will keep rising faster than many expect with electrification, AI, and coal-to-gas power switching.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
25 Sep. 2025
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AllMed upheld the denial, arguing that Johnathan had made progress over the course of his treatment and was no longer experiencing suicidal ideation.—
Kate Snow,
NBC news,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Millions grew up less intelligent, more violent, poorer, and more likely to die from heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure.—
Tom Frieden,
Big Think,
30 Sep. 2025
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But there were circumstances that could allow the highly intelligent Leland to have a better life.—
Janelle Griffith,
PEOPLE,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
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There are a few reasons for this.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
26 Sep. 2025
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Trump has leaned heavily on the courts during his second term to challenge media outlets, but as of Wednesday night, the president’s legal team has not brought a new lawsuit against ABC, for predictable reasons, according to experts.—
Christian Datoc,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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About half of the company’s sales are direct-to-consumer, deriving from the stores as well as Rails’ e-commerce site.—
Jean E. Palmieri,
Footwear News,
22 Sep. 2025
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The underlying metrics were also robust, with a significant portion of revenue deriving from subscriptions, which ensure stable, recurring cash flow.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But instead of contending for the Supporters Shield (best record in MLS), Minnesota will need to start looking behind them in the standings.—
Andy Greder,
Twin Cities,
21 Sep. 2025
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The contract extension announcement arrives ahead of the race on Sunday, where McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull are expected to be the teams contending for the win.—
Saajan Jogia,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Reasoning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reasoning. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.
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