wherefores

noun

plural of wherefore
as in reasons
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

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for wherefores
  1. reasons
  2. motives
Noun
  • They were found to sharply increase how long people continued to engage, but often for reasons of anger and curiosity, rather than enjoyment.
    — Pascal Vrticka, Scientific American, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Activated by eminent domain Cook, an insurance agent living in Sugarloaf Township next door, has her own reasons to oppose the data center project.
    — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of reasons
Noun
  • His motives are not entirely clear, and his biography is unplumbed.
    — E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Investigators are considering different possible motives, including criminal feuds, retaliation and a business dispute.
    — Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of motives
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.

Browse Nearby Words

wherefore
wherefores
wherein
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wherefores.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wherefores. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of regimen

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All