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
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Recent Examples of why
Filip Bondy, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2017
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
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
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
See All Example Sentences for why
Recent Examples of Synonyms for why
Noun
-
Snook believes there are several reasons for pickleball’s momentum.—
Janice Phelan,
Kansas City Star,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Bayern Munich will take an advantage back to Germany next week and their goalkeeper is one of the reasons why.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
To make our lineup, The Times surveyed more than 200 authors, publishers, journalists and general book club enthusiasts to select the best book club reads in 10 categories, including romance, mystery, memoir and literary fiction.—
Brittany Levine Beckman,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Much of Taylor’s life is shrouded in mystery and myth.—
Mosi Reeves,
Rolling Stone,
9 Apr. 2026
Interjection
-
The Education Committee passed the legislation by a razor thin vote of 26 to 20 after four Democrats switched their votes from no to yes.—
Livi Stanford,
Hartford Courant,
8 Apr. 2026
-
But no, nothing, especially not anything digital.—
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The financial motive was also discredited as George had previously turned down his share of the family inheritance.—
Patrick Salland,
Kansas City Star,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Police say the first steps in determining a motive will be getting background on the woman who died.—
Laura Fay,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The parade is part of a three-day New Year celebration set in the Lanexang Village, a Laotian neighborhood near New Iberia with hundreds of families near the Buddhist temple grounds of Wat Thammarattanaram.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Apr. 2026
-
The parade is part of a three-day New Year celebration set in the Lanxang Village, a Laotian neighborhood near New Iberia with hundreds of families, and near the Buddhist temple grounds of Wat Thammarattanaram.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Apr. 2026
Interjection
-
Say hey to Cayle and Cliff Burton for us, and feel free to stop by and haunt me any time.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
3 Apr. 2026
-
And oh, hey, here’s the Georgia Swarm!—
AJ Willingham,
AJC.com,
2 Apr. 2026
Interjection
-
In addition to having more time to craft thoughtful responses, this also gives you more time to, well, live your life!—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Oh, well, why not just include both genders, all incumbent Republicans?—
Gary Franks,
Hartford Courant,
4 Apr. 2026
Interjection
-
Oh gee, is that supposed to be me in the video with the goatee?—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
3 Oct. 2025
-
As the spigot closed, inflation spiked (gee, maybe there’s a connection?) and the economy slowed, the state budget went from a whopping surplus to stubborn deficits.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
6 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Why.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/why. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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