as in oh
how surprising, doubtful, or unbelievable
why, what a strange thing to say! why, that's not possible!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in reason
something (as a belief) that serves as the basis for another thing
asked the whys behind the surprising decision
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in mystery
something hard to understand or explain
how one decides that a certain person is "the one" is one of the great whys of life
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 why
Filip Bondy, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2017
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
See All Example Sentences for why
Interjection
Why, oh why, do the Rangers keep throwing away almost certain victories in the final minutes of playoff games?
—Filip Bondy, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2017
Noun
There’s got to be a why.
—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
See All Example Sentences for why
Recent Examples of Synonyms for why
Interjection
-
Best Packing Essentials Deals Packing cubes, toiletry kits, and shoe bags—oh my!—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
8 July 2025
-
Anthropologie: Summer dresses, blouses, and pants (oh my!) are up to 30 percent off for a limited time.—
Averi Baudler,
People.com,
8 July 2025
Noun
-
Hval did not share a specific reason for the cancellation.—
Walden Green,
Pitchfork,
1 July 2025
-
For some reason, this album has people relating to it in a grieving way.—
Michael Saponara,
Billboard,
1 July 2025
Noun
-
So there's going to be a strong reaction in both directions for this mystery houseguest.—
David Wysong,
The Enquirer,
4 July 2025
-
In addition, Lind played the young version of Amanda Clarke (Emily VanCamp) in a recurring role on the ABC mystery thriller Revenge from 2011-2015, and the recurring role of Ariel on the CBS medical drama Code Black from 2015-2018.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
3 July 2025
Noun
-
Rogers didn't accuse Patterson of having a specific motive, but also said that wasn't required for a guilty verdict.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
7 July 2025
-
No suspect has been identified, and police have no information on a motive as of Saturday afternoon.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 July 2025
Interjection
-
Having a tour group led by Hanks inside NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building right beside the Apollo 11 mission's Saturn V rocket while it was being stacked was a bit of a stretch to say the least, but hey, that's Hollywood.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
30 June 2025
-
But hey, there’s nothing like a little friendly competition to help raise the bar.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
24 June 2025
Interjection
-
The firms that do this well treat support as a strategy, not a side function.—
Ray Zhou,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
-
At worst — well, their antipathy toward John Herbst is well-known.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
7 July 2025
Interjection
-
At his best, Corenswet is exactly the gosh golly gee wiz American Superman of old, determined to protect innocents and save lives.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
-
Google Users Express Anger Over Data Loss Well, gee, thanks Google.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes,
24 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Why.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/why. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share