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
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
-
And then, oh, my gosh, the brother of the person that's in the lake works at the boathouse in Lexington.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 July 2025
-
The jalapeno pesto it’s bathed in transports the dish from ho-hum to oh, yum!—
Jess Fleming,
Twin Cities,
17 July 2025
Noun
-
Law enforcement determined the child is not a runaway, and a custody dispute is not the sole reason for requesting an activation.—
Wren Smetana,
AZCentral.com,
25 July 2025
-
The top reason students opt not to pursue higher education is cost, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board states, though having a degree can drastically increase earnings.—
Lily Kepner,
Austin American Statesman,
25 July 2025
Noun
-
In this murder mystery set in opulent Nantucket, when a body washes ashore during a family’s wedding, everyone is a suspect.—
Karin Slaughter,
People.com,
29 July 2025
-
But what begins as a local emergency soon spirals into a deeper, more terrifying mystery, one that forces the town’s residents to confront the unknown.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
29 July 2025
Noun
-
Elizabeth Warren questioned the motives behind CBS’ decision.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
18 July 2025
-
So too does the motive of one person radiate outward, rippling in a space of sociopolitical relevance.—
Madison Bloom,
Pitchfork,
17 July 2025
Interjection
-
And hey, if all else fails, just give it to Durant, right?—
Kelly Iko,
New York Times,
24 July 2025
-
Fifty miles feels like a lot, but hey why not double it?—
Kade Krichko,
Outside Online,
22 July 2025
Interjection
-
That means that most of the neodymium, dysprosium, and terbium that end up in EV motors, drones, wind turbines and even smartphones ... well, depending on supply and demand or even geopolitical landscape, China basically makes the rules.—
Joe Salas
July 19,
New Atlas,
19 July 2025
-
While a certain amount of hyperbole is generally tolerated when chief executive officers of private companies tout their businesses and cite revenue figures that are, well, optimistic, things necessarily get real and the financials are laid bare when investors buy in.—
Evan Clark,
Footwear News,
18 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 1 Aug. 2025.
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