as in rational
having the ability to reason
judged by the courts not to be a reasoning being who could be held accountable for his crimes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in logic
the thought processes that have been established as leading to valid solutions to problems
your reasoning here is faulty, for although all wives are spouses, not all spouses are wives
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in understanding
to form an opinion or reach a conclusion through reasoning and information
she reasoned that since all of the cakes were on sale for the same price, she might as well pick the biggest one
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in arguing
to state (something) as a reason in support of or against something under consideration
he tried to reason that no one in their right mind would buy his brother's old video games, but they were put on the online auction anyway
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of reasoning
Big Think, 30 Apr. 2026
The reasoning here seems to be that, prior to the last common ancestor of life on Earth, organisms experimented with various genetic codes and probably used a mix of proteins and catalytic RNAs to run their metabolisms.
—ArsTechnica, 30 Apr. 2026
Alexandra Petri, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
Like Sherlock Holmes or Benoit Blanc, Grace relies on reasoning to uncover the truth — only, in his case, billions of lives depend on his deductions.
—Tim Brinkhof, Big Think, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for reasoning
Noun
Here’s the reasoning behind Pluto’s changing status.
—Big Think, 30 Apr. 2026
The reasoning here seems to be that, prior to the last common ancestor of life on Earth, organisms experimented with various genetic codes and probably used a mix of proteins and catalytic RNAs to run their metabolisms.
—ArsTechnica, 30 Apr. 2026
Verb
Predictably, our children will develop deeper critical-thinking and independent-reasoning abilities.
—Alexandra Petri, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
Like Sherlock Holmes or Benoit Blanc, Grace relies on reasoning to uncover the truth — only, in his case, billions of lives depend on his deductions.
—Tim Brinkhof, Big Think, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for reasoning
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reasoning
Adjective
-
Evans and his backers were rational actors inside an irrational system.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
1 May 2026
-
By any rational examination, there are more people on Rikers than need to be for public safety.—
Jonathan Lippman,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In the world of Kirkslop, there are no limits, or logic, to whom Kirk can or cannot be.—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
New Yorker,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The same logic applies here, at the trading layer rather than the payments layer.—
Bob Diamond,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Signs of a stroke can be identified by sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm, or leg; sudden confusion, trouble speaking, or difficulty understanding speech; issues with eyesight; loss of balance, dizziness, and difficulty walking; and severe headache with no identifiable cause.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
-
This diversity has huge implications for understanding galactic evolution.—
Paul Sutter,
Space.com,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
DeSantis is arguing that Florida’s significant growth over the past few years merits a redraw of the state’s congressional boundaries.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 May 2026
-
On homelessness, Steyer wants to expand interim housing options with services, arguing the state has focused too much on building permanent housing for the homeless that is too costly and takes too long to open.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
The son of four-time Pro Bowl linebacker Jeremiah Trotter, he is viewed as a physical and intelligent defender.—
The Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Our interface makes intelligent use of swipes and gestures rather than tapping or dialing.—
David Szondy
April 25,
New Atlas,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The assassination attempt failed — and Hinckley was arrested, tried and found not guilty by reason of insanity in 1982.—
Kelsie Cairns,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
-
McCollum’s line was one of the biggest reasons the game never got complicated.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
On Thursday, a jury found Geisy Rodriguez Brito, 33, of Royal Palm Beach, guilty of human trafficking and unlawful use of a two-way communications device but not guilty of deriving support from the proceeds of prostitution or witness tampering.—
Shira Moolten,
Sun Sentinel,
15 Apr. 2026
-
The very legitimacy of deriving general principles from the particulars of experience can never be established from experience without already having the principle in hand.—
Christopher Beha,
New Yorker,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Talma, a 6-foot, 175-pounder has track speed and is part of the Hornets state-championship contending 400-meter relay team.—
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Fighting between Cambodia and Thailand flared twice last year over contending claims to territory along their shared border.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Reasoning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reasoning. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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