as in therefore
for this or that reason
it was getting late, and wherefore we decided to move on
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in reason
something (as a belief) that serves as the basis for another thing
demanded to know the whys and wherefores for the decision
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wherefore
Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 26 Dec. 2024
Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 12 Mar. 2025
But none of those 265 pages of wherefores and whereases on the sports authority website are legally binding.
—Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 30 Mar. 2024
Eschewing cheap shots, McBride favors a careful, winding excavation – reaching into history for the whys and wherefores of his novels’ crowded casts, while delivering whopper stories with electric finales.
—Erin Douglass, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Oct. 2023
Soccer, though, did not waste time wondering about the whys and wherefores.
—Ahmed Al Omran, New York Times, 13 July 2023
Julian Fellowes, a master writer who understands so well all the peculiarities of time and place, manners and historical significance of the whys and wherefores of his fictional inhabitants, is to be applauded.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2019
Adverb
The musicians, especially but not exclusively Jerry Garcia, whose death in 1995 only technically ended the Dead, prove remarkably articulate about the why and wherefore of their music and the group mind that created it.
—Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 26 Dec. 2024
Noun
For one thing: we are reminded of the American purpose, our whys and wherefores.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 12 Mar. 2025
But none of those 265 pages of wherefores and whereases on the sports authority website are legally binding.
—Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 30 Mar. 2024
Eschewing cheap shots, McBride favors a careful, winding excavation – reaching into history for the whys and wherefores of his novels’ crowded casts, while delivering whopper stories with electric finales.
—Erin Douglass, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Oct. 2023
Soccer, though, did not waste time wondering about the whys and wherefores.
—Ahmed Al Omran, New York Times, 13 July 2023
Julian Fellowes, a master writer who understands so well all the peculiarities of time and place, manners and historical significance of the whys and wherefores of his fictional inhabitants, is to be applauded.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wherefore
Adverb
-
Neighbors of the property like the Plummers are residents of Osage County, not the city that annexed the land, and therefore can’t vote in city elections.—
Bracey Harris,
NBC news,
25 Mar. 2026
-
In our life as citizens, people with different beliefs must share power and therefore work together.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Lamar said even she was stopped by a sheriff's deputy for no apparent reason, driving a Mercedes Benz with her child in the backseat.—
Cleve R. Wootson Jr. The Washington Post,
Arkansas Online,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The app also encourages users to write a message to the host during the reservation process about the reason for renting.—
Mary Ramsey
March 25,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
But so far, the engagement and transparency process hasn’t gone well.—
Desiree Mathurin
March 27,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Democrats are pushing for additional restrictions on Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which Thune and Republicans have rejected so far.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Every character is fully developed and has a why, and every backstory is so rich.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Build your own opportunities, document your journey, and stay rooted in your why.—
Zoya Hasan,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025
Adverb
-
Spain has recently wrapped up operational testing of the biggest vanadium flow battery for applied research on the old continent, thus marking a turning point for sustainable, long-duration energy storage.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Survivors of 2021 Super Typhoon Odette in the Philippines sued the energy giant Shell in the United Kingdom last year on the basis that Shell's emissions greatly contributed to climate change and thus the intensity of the typhoon.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The motive is not vanity projects, but commercial bets designed to keep its products like Labubu embedded in people's lives.—
Elaine Yu,
CNBC,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Police said the motive and circumstances surrounding the shooting are still under investigation.—
Carlos E. Castañeda,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Because she was not permitted on school grounds and not authorized to take the student off school property, she was charged with felony kidnapping.—
Logan Smith,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Trains, buses and the Metrorail will drop fans off at the Miami Intermodal Center, which is adjacent to Miami International Airport and across the street from the stadium grounds.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wherefore.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wherefore. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
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