REASONS Synonyms: 153 Similar and Opposite Words

reasons 1 of 2

noun

Definition of reasons next

plural of reason

as in explanations

a statement given to explain a belief or act she gave a good reason for her seemingly suspicious behavior

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Relevance

as in motives

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

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as in excuses

an explanation that frees one from fault or blame what reason do you have for being in such a bad mood?

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as in causes

someone or something responsible for a result what's the meteorological reason for tornadoes?

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

reasons

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of reason

as in derives

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

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as in argues

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

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of reasons

Noun

For these reasons, snow mushrooms are a good choice for dry skin but can also be appropriate for all skin types. —

Celia Shatzman, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026 Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart said the forklift program stands out for many reasons. —

Jermont Terry, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026 There are four or five good reasons to take the slow road, Gordon chief among them. —

Troy Renck, Denver Post, 26 Jan. 2026 There’s a couple reasons the centers have grown so significantly in the past year, said O’Donnell. —

Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026 For these reasons and others, what happens in Mashhad reverberates across Iran, perhaps second only to events in Tehran itself. —

Davood Moradian, The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2026 Why Atlas stood out at CES 2026 CNET pointed to Atlas’ humanlike walking ability and refined industrial design as key reasons for the award. —

Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 9 Jan. 2026 There are lots of reasons someone might not want a photo posted, ranging from it simply being an unflattering shot, to future employers Googling their name, through to hiding from an abusive ex or being in witness protection. —

R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2026 Vaccine exemptions for nonmedical reasons have become increasingly common in the US in recent years. —

Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 8 Jan. 2026

Verb

The system reasons underneath, processing infinitely complex 3D scenarios, handling trade clashes, regulations and tradeoffs - learning from user feedback over time to eliminate the need for users to supervise its intelligence. —

Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for reasons

Noun

Confidence isn’t created by explanations.

— Shep Hyken, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026
Of course, other explanations are possible.

— R. Eric Thomas, Denver Post, 24 Jan. 2026