whys

noun

plural of why
1
as in reasons
something (as a belief) that serves as the basis for another thing asked the whys behind the surprising decision

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in mysteries
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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for whys
  1. reasons
  2. mysteries
  3. motives
Noun
  • But there are reasons this sort of performance goes beyond the game-state defence.
    — Jon Mackenzie, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • In my experience, this assumption is one of the biggest reasons capital-raising campaigns fail.
    — Ramesh Tambe, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of reasons
Noun
  • However, its growing mysteries nudge it, paradoxically, toward the literal, leaving it with few places to go.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Its survey will produce huge amounts of data and could solve several cosmic mysteries, with potential achievements ranging from understanding dark energy to detecting exoplanets—and finding some things astronomers don’t even know about yet.
    — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of mysteries
Noun
  • If someone consistently behaves with kindness, generosity, and consideration, even when these behaviors require effort or self-restraint, their motives may be less important than their actions.
    — Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Then Front Office Sports wants documentation, competing sources and a discussion about our motives.
    — Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 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

why
whys
wicked
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Cite this Entry

“Whys.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whys. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

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