wherefore 1 of 2

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 wherefore
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
  • The legislation would, therefore, reserve authority over cannabis rescheduling exclusively for Congress.
    Dario Sabaghi, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
  • And some long-time critics of the current AI landscape, such as Gary Marcus, disagree with Dalio entirely, arguing that the bubble is due to pop because the AI technology currently on the market is too error-prone to be relied upon, and therefore can’t be scaled away.
    Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 12 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • In many cases, the two reasons amount to the same thing, with the same cause.
    Jeremy Lott, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
  • The second reason is that these aura battler designs were very complex and full of curves as well as weird angles.
    Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025
Adverb
  • That means no more security updates, patches, or tech support, so now’s the time to upgrade.
    StackCommerce Team, PC Magazine, 14 Sep. 2025
  • Through it, the Levetts have become so recognizable that fellow Universal fans will stop them in the parks to ask for selfies.
    Bianca Bosker, The Atlantic, 14 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • But maybe the most important thing isn’t the why, but the fact that the appearance happened at all.
    Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 24 July 2025
  • Build your own opportunities, document your journey, and stay rooted in your why.
    Zoya Hasan, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
Adverb
  • Effectively, this turned the workspace into a yank buffer along with all your documents, and undoing any destructive editing operation thus became merely another cut and paste.
    Cameron Kaiser, ArsTechnica, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Heck, even the unassuming Reid acknowledges how remarkable, and thus improbable, it’s been.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 12 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Whatever turns out to be the motive of Kirk’s assassin, the websites Bluesky and Reddit were teeming with left-wing celebrations of his death.
    W. James Antle III, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Law enforcement had yet to identify the shooter or disclose a motive and acknowledged at a news conference Thursday that the suspect’s college-age appearance may have helped the person blend in on the college campus where Kirk was shot.
    Jesse Bedayn, Fortune, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Indigenous Tribes’ ancestral homelands and hunting grounds could be under threat of mining, clear cutting, or development without consultation because of this decision.
    Ryan Gellert, Time, 9 Sep. 2025
  • The Detroit Lions explicitly ban ticket resales for a profit on Ford Field grounds, according to the team’s website.
    Arpan Lobo, Freep.com, 8 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Wherefore.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wherefore. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on wherefore

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!