wherefore 1 of 2

as in therefore
for this or that reason it was getting late, and wherefore we decided to move on

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wherefore

2 of 2

noun

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

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Examples 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 wherefore
Noun
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 The political whys and wherefores are important — and might be left to another piece. Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 14 May 2023 As in most of Tim and Eric’s sketch humor, there are few whys and wherefores. Austin Considine, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2020 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 In addition to gleaning the why and wherefore behind America’s foundational document, teenage listeners will meet up with the Declaration of Independence and a roster of seminal Supreme Court decisions. Louis Bayard, New York Times, 28 May 2018 The book casts its spell in revealing the whys and wherefores of the killings, as investigated by Burke’s onetime high school classmate, Rob Barrett, a Boston FBI agent whom Burke likes nothing better than to humiliate. Lloyd Sachs, chicagotribune.com, 21 May 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wherefore
Adverb
  • Stanley dupes deals These competitor cups are also on sale (and therefore also worth checking out).
    Sarah Felbin, SELF, 29 Nov. 2024
  • The Smart #3 is therefore in a similar class to the popular Nissan Leaf, Volkswagen ID.3, and MG4, albeit a little taller due to the SUV/crossover styling.
    James Morris, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • The first reason that alcohol should be cut out to lose fat is that it’s filled with empty calories.
    Fred Sassani, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
  • There are endless reasons to take a year off from typical festivities or start a new tradition on Thanksgiving Day.
    Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal, 21 Nov. 2024
Adverb
  • Most folks think of LED masks as red light only, but both have benefits for your skin, so having a two-in-one device truly makes the most of your buck.
    Nena Farrell, WIRED, 23 Nov. 2024
  • This magic dress is technically loungewear, but its silhouette-hugging fit is so flattering that most people incorporate it into their daily wardrobe, including quite a few of our editors.
    Annie Blackman, Allure, 23 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • There’s got to be a why.
    Vulture, 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
Adverb
  • The Court reversed an order by the Florida Supreme Court for a selective manual recount of that state’s U.S. presidential election ballots, thus awarding its 25 Electoral College votes to Bush.
    Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY, 20 Nov. 2024
  • Only 12 properties worldwide have achieved this certification thus far.
    Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 19 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • The statement issued by Macy’s didn’t explain the employee’s motives for the fraudulent entries, and the company declined to comment further.
    Prarthana Prakash, Fortune, 26 Nov. 2024
  • The leaker’s motive is unknown, though it may be linked to a conspiratorial narrative, reportedly promoted by Netanyahu, that the military has hidden vital information from the prime minister since before the war.
    Gershom Gorenberg, The Atlantic, 25 Nov. 2024

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“Wherefore.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wherefore. Accessed 4 Dec. 2024.

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