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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of why
Filip Bondy, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2017
Barbara Puszkiewicz-Cimino, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
There’s got to be a why.
—Vulture, 29 Mar. 2023
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
There are times when the in-platform optimizations are taken advantage of yet there is no alignment internally between leadership and the execution teams as to the why, what and when.
—Barbara Puszkiewicz-Cimino, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
There’s got to be a why.
—Vulture, 29 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for why
Recent Examples of Synonyms for why
Interjection
-
Gather ye, oh clouds of despondency, rain blood down onto Gallowgate and soak the ground red.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
13 Aug. 2025
-
And then, oh, my gosh, the brother of the person that's in the lake works at the boathouse in Lexington.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 July 2025
Noun
-
Various reasons, but a big one is the village simply created more places to live.—
Liliana Fannin,
jsonline.com,
18 Aug. 2025
-
Zen Buddhism is unlike Stoic philosophy on the role of discursive, as opposed to intuitive, reasons.—
Sebastian Purcell
August 18,
Literary Hub,
18 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Familiar and reassuring, cozy mysteries aren’t called that for nothing.—
Caryn James,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Aug. 2025
-
The mystery was solved via coincidence and the outcome was deeply unsatisfying.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
To successfully transition requires a profound change in mindset, motives and strategy of execution.—
Jyothish R,
Forbes.com,
12 Aug. 2025
-
Authorities have not released a potential motive for CDC shooting Officer David Rose, 33, was the sole casualty after a shooter opened fire on Centers for Disease Control buildings near Emory University in Atlanta on Friday.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
11 Aug. 2025
Interjection
-
And, hey, that might even mean Wilson could find himself back in Tier 3 of Sando’s rankings next year.—
Mike Sando,
New York Times,
19 Aug. 2025
-
Or, hey, visit any of the local Asian markets like Mo’s Food Market (2402 W. Clybourn St.), Mei Hua (11066 W. National Ave., West Allis) and New Asian Supermarket (10704 W. Oklahoma Ave., West Allis) to find your favorites.—
Rachel Bernhard,
jsonline.com,
19 Aug. 2025
Interjection
-
Ever since then, writing essays hasn’t required, well, writing.—
Lila Shroff,
The Atlantic,
12 Aug. 2025
-
From the outside, that might seem a funny outlook for the leader of a band that’s been on the ascent since dropping their 2023 debut LP, Life Under the Gun, to the acclaim of, well, just about everyone.—
Brenna Ehrlich,
Rolling Stone,
12 Aug. 2025
Interjection
-
As the spigot closed, inflation spiked (gee, maybe there’s a connection?) and the economy slowed, the state budget went from a whopping surplus to stubborn deficits.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
6 Aug. 2025
-
At his best, Corenswet is exactly the gosh golly gee wiz American Superman of old, determined to protect innocents and save lives.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Why.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/why. Accessed 26 Aug. 2025.
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