REASONS Synonyms: 153 Similar and Opposite Words

reasons 1 of 2

noun

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

And there might be strategic reasons to hold Luzardo back for a potential Game 3. — Matt Gelb, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026 The move is striking for a number of reasons, ranging from the existing budget disparities between the two parties involved to the fact that the money would be used for projects that the current NIH leadership has explicitly rejected. — John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 8 Sep. 2026 Across the country, a slew of law enforcement officers have been investigated for misusing Flock cameras for personal reasons, according to a USA Today report last month. — Jenna Ebbers, Kansas City Star, 8 Sep. 2026 What the attacks and their aftermath have come to mean isn’t a single viewpoint shared by everyone, for reasons chronological, political and personal. — Deepti Hajela, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026 In this case, the objective is to uncover the reasons why customers buy, stall or churn. — Stu Sjouwerman, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2026 Why Boxwoods Turn Brown Boxwoods may experience browning for a variety of reasons. — The Spruce, 8 Sep. 2026 As for whether there are actual strategic reasons for his dominance in Armstrong, Tiafoe dismissed the notion. — Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 8 Sep. 2026 The darker corners of the internet are all too eager to offer men a compelling list of reasons for why their lives are unfulfilling, as well as an echo chamber full of the similarly aggrieved. — T. M. Brown, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2026

Verb

The consultant reasons by filling a notebook with calculations, then hands you a one-sentence answer, and keeps the notebook. — Adam Fish, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026 How the Fed reasons its way to agreements is as important as the agreements. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 18 June 2026 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

Use Slack for updates, async video for explanations and live conversations for dialogue.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026
But the plot loops and falls in on itself, rendering the dreamlike first half open to interpretation, and leaving viewers to sort through its many possible explanations.

— David Faris, TheWeek, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of explanations

Noun

By 2008, everyone had grown a lot more suspicious about Washington’s motives for its Global War on Terrorism.

— Rachel Marsden, Hartford Courant, 18 Sep. 2026
Anthony Kazmierczak, 56, also received three years of supervised release with orders to avoid contact with Omar, after admitting the assault but struggling to explain his motives.

— Tim Sullivan, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of motives

Noun

Arteta and Arsenal had no need for excuses this time around, though, with Martin Odegaard scoring a late winner after a convincing team performance at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

— Art de Roché, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
That’s not to make excuses, but to put in context, what is also a sputtering, screwball-y film about masculine roles in a waning patriarchal society.

— Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of excuses

Noun

Others, including major philanthropic institutions, have pulled back out of fear of retribution that giving to political or racial justice causes could draw the administration's ire.

— ABC News, ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026
Activists of all ages are organizing events to promote sustainability, biodiversity and other environmental causes.

— Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of causes

Verb

An audit team, Chiodo argues, needs expertise that mirrors the development team, role for role.

— Jacek Krywko, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2026
Paula Goldman, Salesforce’s chief ethical and humane use officer, argues there’s currently a big opportunity to redesign work around the complementary strengths of humans and AI.

— Harvard Business Review, Harvard Business Review, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of argues

Noun

This, however, is the stuff of creative and useful future arguments.

— Adam Frank, NPR, 14 Sep. 2026
Kanter could raise the same basic arguments in an arbitration, but it would be conducted in private, and awards by arbitrators are difficult to challenge in court because judges are obligated to give high deference to those awards.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of arguments

Noun

Frimpong also referenced cases in which immigration officers offered justifications for an arrest that did not match evidence from the scene.

— Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Mulligan’s Lindsay is brittle, entitled and frequently cruel, giving the actress the chance to deliver scathing rejoinders and self-deluded justifications, all with a deep reservoir of personal disappointment.

— Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2026