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
Ana Ceballos
follow, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
The flock attentively listened to the rules of crime solving from George’s books and put all that deductive reasoning to work when George is found dead.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 7 May 2026
Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 15 Apr. 2026
While coding has brought reasoning capabilities to a different level, Dai believes that models still can’t handle major decisions on how to make lighter cars or more efficient rockets.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for reasoning
Noun
The state law was not directly at issue in the Supreme Court ruling, but Hasen argues the court’s reasoning could provide new legal grounds to challenge the state law as potentially unconstitutional.
—Ana Ceballos
follow, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
The flock attentively listened to the rules of crime solving from George’s books and put all that deductive reasoning to work when George is found dead.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 7 May 2026
Verb
The company is working to improve safety and reasoning through benchmarks that guide how robots should behave in real-world scenarios.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 15 Apr. 2026
While coding has brought reasoning capabilities to a different level, Dai believes that models still can’t handle major decisions on how to make lighter cars or more efficient rockets.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for reasoning
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reasoning
Adjective
-
All religions are about that kind of magical thinking that goes beyond the rational.—
Stuart Miller,
Oc Register,
7 May 2026
-
The problem with being reduced to playoff bystander is the danger of getting caught up in possibilities lost, at a time when rational thought about realistic possibilities is paramount.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
In the world of Kirkslop, there are no limits, or logic, to whom Kirk can or cannot be.—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
New Yorker,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The same logic applies here, at the trading layer rather than the payments layer.—
Bob Diamond,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Since Ganymede likely hides a vast ocean beneath its ice shell, understanding how its magnetic field survives could offer clues about potentially habitable environments elsewhere in the solar system.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
10 May 2026
-
Because your husband is having trouble understanding that being alone in the house for extended periods isn’t good for your mental health (or physical health for that matter), perhaps your doctor can explain it to him.—
Abigail Van Buren,
Boston Herald,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
Prosecutors, meanwhile, have emphasized the importance of transparency, arguing that allowing cameras in the courtroom helps counter misinformation and ensures public trust in the proceedings.—
Adam Sabes , Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
-
Dong wrote articles arguing for constitutional democracy, political reform and transparency in politics — views allowed to circulate freely in the past that are now taboo in China.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
The next is making the grid intelligent enough to absorb that power at scale—flexible, predictive, and reliable.—
Ken Silverstein,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
-
An immersive, intelligent debut.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
The assassination attempt failed — and Hinckley was arrested, tried and found not guilty by reason of insanity in 1982.—
Kelsie Cairns,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
-
McCollum’s line was one of the biggest reasons the game never got complicated.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
On Thursday, a jury found Geisy Rodriguez Brito, 33, of Royal Palm Beach, guilty of human trafficking and unlawful use of a two-way communications device but not guilty of deriving support from the proceeds of prostitution or witness tampering.—
Shira Moolten,
Sun Sentinel,
15 Apr. 2026
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The very legitimacy of deriving general principles from the particulars of experience can never be established from experience without already having the principle in hand.—
Christopher Beha,
New Yorker,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The government is citing legal technicalities and contending the law does not define how a commission should be fairly balanced or whose viewpoints should be represented.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 May 2026
-
In addition to contending federal law overrides state statutes like the sanctuary law, the institute is taking a novel legal tack, according to Alex Riggins of the Union-Tribune.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Reasoning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reasoning. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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