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
Keith Phipps, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2025
Build your own opportunities, document your journey, and stay rooted in your why.
—Zoya Hasan, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
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
Every character is fully developed and has a why, and every backstory is so rich.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2025
Build your own opportunities, document your journey, and stay rooted in your why.
—Zoya Hasan, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for why
Recent Examples of Synonyms for why
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
Noun
-
No such mystery surrounded the whereabouts of Daniel Kinahan, the forty-eight-year-old Irishman who was arrested in Dubai on April 17th.—
Ed Caesar,
New Yorker,
30 Apr. 2026
-
These materials are key to technologies such as ultrasound, sonar, and high-efficiency sensors, but their complex, disordered structure has remained a mystery for decades.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Apr. 2026
Interjection
-
Veach said no and then agreed to send those three draft picks to Cleveland, which was looking to take an offensive tackle.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Seems extremely hypocritical, no?—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Prosecutors hadn’t even offered a motive to connect him to the shooting.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The motive remains unclear, though state media reported the man left documents behind at the courthouse outlining his grievances.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In the century-plus since its grounds were largely closed to the public, dozens of events are evidence that even the White House complex is not impervious to intrusion.—
Meg Kinnard,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
-
The construction of the $400-million ballroom on the White House grounds has come under searing scrutiny.—
Ana Ceballos
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Interjection
-
But hey, better late than never.—
Amber Harding OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Like hey, click here to watch the podcast.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
24 Apr. 2026
Interjection
-
In Boston Marathon, all’s well that ends well The 2026 Boston Marathon is in the books, but not without a little controversy.—
Robert Abitbol,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
-
That’s the fewest of any Florida batch since, well, the last two years.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
25 Apr. 2026
Interjection
-
Oh gee, is that supposed to be me in the video with the goatee?—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
3 Oct. 2025
-
As the spigot closed, inflation spiked (gee, maybe there’s a connection?) and the economy slowed, the state budget went from a whopping surplus to stubborn deficits.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
6 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Why.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/why. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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