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
R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 29 May 2025
Others effectively characterized Agran’s reasoning as wishful thinking.
—Jonathan Horwitz, Oc Register, 28 May 2025
Both models can search the web to complete tasks on a user’s behalf and alternate between reasoning and tool use, according to Anthropic.
—Hayden Field, CNBC, 22 May 2025
That seems to be the reasoning behind Otto Aviation's Phantom 3500 jet aircraft that dumps the portholes in favor of super-laminar flow to lose weight and burn less fuel.
—David Szondy
may 16, New Atlas, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for reasoning
Noun
My reasoning is that my mom is now 85 and my sister and her husband are in poor health.
—R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 29 May 2025
Others effectively characterized Agran’s reasoning as wishful thinking.
—Jonathan Horwitz, Oc Register, 28 May 2025
Both models can search the web to complete tasks on a user’s behalf and alternate between reasoning and tool use, according to Anthropic.
—Hayden Field, CNBC, 22 May 2025
That seems to be the reasoning behind Otto Aviation's Phantom 3500 jet aircraft that dumps the portholes in favor of super-laminar flow to lose weight and burn less fuel.
—David Szondy
may 16, New Atlas, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for reasoning
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reasoning
Adjective
-
This may be a financially rational move, but also a negative signal to shareholders looking for leverage.—
Alexander S. Blume,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
-
But the over-the-top operation in South Park generated a nationwide debate, not all of it rational, and a unified response of condemnation from San Diego Democratic leaders, including four members of the local congressional delegation.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 June 2025
Noun
-
The logic Daly uses to justify not making changes is just so inherently flawed.—
Pierre LeBrun,
New York Times,
5 June 2025
-
The logic was offline, rigid, and lived on a chip, locked inside plastic.—
Karl Moore,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
Verb
-
However, some Democrats, including Massachusetts Representative Seth Moulton, suggested the backlash was overblown, arguing that public opinion is shifting in favor of restrictions on transgender athletes.—
Tommy Tuberville,
Newsweek,
7 Mar. 2025
-
The president justified his decision by arguing that all three of the nations were not doing enough to curb the influx of drugs, specifically fentanyl, coming into the United States.—
Filip Timotija,
The Hill,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Second, a human must be kept in the loop of intelligent machine decision-making processes.—
John Werner,
Forbes.com,
8 June 2025
-
In 1950 the Italian physicist Enrico Fermi was discussing the possibility of intelligent alien life with his colleagues.—
Philip Ball,
Wired News,
8 June 2025
Noun
-
Martino abruptly resigned due to personal reasons and Miami hired Messi’s long-time friend and former Barcelona and Argentina team-mate Javier Mascherano as head coach.—
Felipe Cardenas,
New York Times,
7 June 2025
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The Television Academy has stubbornly hung on to the old notion that half-hour shows are comedies while hourlong shows are dramas if for no other reason than there doesn’t seem to be a better determining factor.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
7 June 2025
Verb
-
The path is similar this time around, and Tampa Bay is coming off a resounding 40-17 victory over the playoff-contending Los Angeles Chargers.—
Associated Pess,
Orlando Sentinel,
22 Dec. 2024
-
Against this backdrop, the remainder of López's contract could be appealing to a contending team.—
Newsweek,
Newsweek,
22 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Nibert loved the free-thinking spirit of the village and its college.—
Keith BieryGolick,
Cincinnati.com,
28 Aug. 2019
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Credit Gus Malzahn for being proactive and thinking long-term in choosing his starting quarterback.—
Creg Stephenson | cstephenson@al.com,
al,
22 Aug. 2019
Verb
-
With so many cruise lines and many more ships, deciding which cruise to book for your family’s next vacation can feel daunting.—
Stacey Lastoe,
Southern Living,
11 Mar. 2025
-
There are several considerations when deciding where to live and retire.—
Travel + Leisure Editors,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Reasoning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reasoning. Accessed 13 Jun. 2025.
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