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
  • The reasons why the world is turning up its nose at oil are complex.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 21 July 2026
  • For a variety of reasons, three intriguing All-Stars — the Colorado Rockies’ Hunter Goodman, Athletics’ Shea Langeliers and Baltimore Orioles switch-hitter Adley Rutschman — are less likely to move.
    — Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 21 July 2026
Definition of reasons
Noun
  • In recent years, the typical Shears song has cloaked descriptions of paranormal encounters in hardcore distortion and cartoon sound effects, fleshing out the twins’ strange world while hinting at weirder mysteries beneath the surface.
    — Jude Noel, Pitchfork, 22 July 2026
  • Heavyweight was resurrected by Pushkin Industries so that host Jonathan Goldstein can still help people track down individuals from their past to resolve long-standing regrets or unresolved mysteries with a healthy dose of humor.
    — Frank Racioppi, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of mysteries
Noun
  • The investigation remains active, and officials have released only limited details about what led to the kidnapping or the motives of the suspects.
    — David Benda, USA Today, 18 July 2026
  • Had those industries spoken plainly about the dangers of their products, their motives would rightly have been scrutinized—but the candor itself would have been preferable to years of deceit.
    — Harry Booth, Time, 17 July 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.

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whys
wicked
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Cite this Entry

“Whys.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whys. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

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