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
-
In 2021, the former TV journalist accompanied her partner to business meetings with world leaders, a speech at his space company Blue Origin, and a charitable gala. 2022: Movie premieres, commencements, oh my!—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
25 June 2025
-
And, as Alex DeLarge soon discovers, oh my brothers and only friends, conformity may be as dangerous as the chaos.—
Paul Fitzgerald,
Rolling Stone,
23 June 2025
Noun
-
There is no reason to believe that an enemy wouldn’t take a page out of the Israeli playbook and go after leadership.—
Thomas Wright,
The Atlantic,
19 June 2025
-
The two vehicles collided in a head-on collision for an unknown reason, state police said.—
Staff report,
Hartford Courant,
19 June 2025
Noun
-
With the entire dataset open to the public, the team hopes the fresh eyes, as well as graduate and undergraduate astronomers, will uncover something new and unlock clues about cosmic mysteries like dark matter and the physics of the early universe.—
Jay Kakade
June 22,
New Atlas,
22 June 2025
-
But two new studies — which researchers say are among the biggest paleoanthropology papers of the year — detail how scientists were able to extract genetic material from the fossil and help unravel this biological mystery.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
21 June 2025
Noun
-
Barbara Slavin perceives a motive in Khamenei's actions after the U.S. attack: Ordering only a symbolic response, then approving a ceasefire with Israel.—
Steve Inskeep,
NPR,
25 June 2025
-
What to do instead: Instead of dissecting their motives or childhood wounds, shift your attention to the actual impact their actions had on you, Brown says.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
24 June 2025
Interjection
-
But, hey, maybe check out your local Toyota dealer just for funsies.—
Skyler Caruso,
People.com,
19 June 2025
-
Like Past Lives, Celine Song’s romance is far more practical than your standard rom-com, but hey, we’re intrigued.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
16 June 2025
Interjection
-
The flipside of that strange path to a truce is that missiles are, well, fundamentally weapons.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
25 June 2025
-
How to know if special teams players are ... well, special Via email, Rob C. asks: How can the coaching staff, specifically special teams, assess guys designated for special teams?—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
25 June 2025
Interjection
-
Google Users Express Anger Over Data Loss Well, gee, thanks Google.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes,
24 Mar. 2025
-
And gee if there were only a very effective way of preventing the measles.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes,
15 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Why.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/why. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share