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
Vulture, 29 Mar. 2023
The show never aims its considerable wit and girl power vibe to get a firm grip on the troubling tributaries that flow just underneath the why-ness of the show: These women, nobility be damned, are one and all inextricably tied to a fundamentally-flawed man.
—Rod Stafford Hagwood, Sun Sentinel, 12 Oct. 2022
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’s got to be a why.
—Vulture, 29 Mar. 2023
The show never aims its considerable wit and girl power vibe to get a firm grip on the troubling tributaries that flow just underneath the why-ness of the show: These women, nobility be damned, are one and all inextricably tied to a fundamentally-flawed man.
—Rod Stafford Hagwood, Sun Sentinel, 12 Oct. 2022
See All Example Sentences for why
Recent Examples of Synonyms for why
Interjection
-
Eccleston brought frantic and wild energy to the Doctor, but when things got serious, oh boy did Eccleston get serious.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
29 May 2025
-
The ceiling is probably just an inch north of a league-average starting pitcher, but oh man, would that be a victory for the player, given what he’s gone through over his career.—
Eno Sarris,
New York Times,
20 May 2025
Noun
-
That's not great, but Rachel Zegler is as the main reason why this musical revamp of the 1937 Disney classic works.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
26 May 2025
-
President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth repeatedly point to Trump's election as a reason for the recruiting rebound.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
26 May 2025
Noun
-
Their quest: to finally solve the mystery of the Nameless and their connection to the Force, and to stop the blight before its damage becomes irreversible.—
Dalton Ross,
EW.com,
29 May 2025
-
John Wilson/Netflix What Will Happen in Wake Up Dead Man? As usual with a Rian Johnson movie, the mystery is being maintained, with the only official synopsis out there being: Benoit Blanc returns for his most dangerous case yet.—
Billie Melissa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 May 2025
Noun
-
Authorities are still working to figure out a motive for the five musicians’ killings, according to the AP and BBC.—
Sean Neumann,
People.com,
30 May 2025
-
Other motives may include growing followers, harvesting affirmation and deliberately sowing confusion.—
Marshall Shepherd,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
Interjection
-
History has largely ignored the sassy, grumpy royal advisor who paved the way for characters like Sebastian and Zazu, but hey, Friend Owl would never hold that against us.—
EW Staff,
EW.com,
27 May 2025
-
Meanwhile, in the grubby streets of Buffalo (hey, what did Buffalo do to deserve this!), Simone’s older sister Devon is getting home one morning after her second DUI.—
Nina Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
22 May 2025
Interjection
-
If this is what FIFA had in mind when the governing body created the 32-team tournament, much to the initial dismay of players and clubs alike, well, so far so good.—
Felipe Cardenas,
New York Times,
1 June 2025
-
Some zodiac signs play to win, others play to connect and others… well, pure chaos.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
31 May 2025
Interjection
-
Google Users Express Anger Over Data Loss Well, gee, thanks Google.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes,
24 Mar. 2025
-
And gee if there were only a very effective way of preventing the measles.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes,
15 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Why.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/why. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.
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