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
-
Eccleston brought frantic and wild energy to the Doctor, but when things got serious, oh boy did Eccleston get serious.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
29 May 2025
-
The ceiling is probably just an inch north of a league-average starting pitcher, but oh man, would that be a victory for the player, given what he’s gone through over his career.—
Eno Sarris,
New York Times,
20 May 2025
Noun
-
Martino abruptly resigned due to personal reasons and Miami hired Messi’s long-time friend and former Barcelona and Argentina team-mate Javier Mascherano as head coach.—
Felipe Cardenas,
New York Times,
7 June 2025
-
Or maybe, for a million reasons, your recent expectations of how family life should be are not aligned with reality.—
Denise Snodell,
Kansas City Star,
7 June 2025
Noun
-
Fan speculation has centered on Kendrick Lamar or Jay-Z being the mystery man.—
Andre Gee,
Rolling Stone,
29 May 2025
-
Read more: The 100 Best Mystery and Thriller Books of All Time Another lingering mystery in Dept. Q is the identity of Sam Haig, a journalist with whom Merritt was romantically involved.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
29 May 2025
Noun
-
Authorities are still working to figure out a motive for the five musicians’ killings, according to the AP and BBC.—
Sean Neumann,
People.com,
30 May 2025
-
Other motives may include growing followers, harvesting affirmation and deliberately sowing confusion.—
Marshall Shepherd,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
Interjection
-
But hey, Greene — who does have tattoos! — is now free to find fresh talent from among his remaining cast members.—
Christie D’Zurilla,
Los Angeles Times,
5 June 2025
-
Shepherd is a mercurial oddball who has a habit of talking to corpses — but hey, whatever works.—
Declan Gallagher,
EW.com,
1 June 2025
Interjection
-
If this is what FIFA had in mind when the governing body created the 32-team tournament, much to the initial dismay of players and clubs alike, well, so far so good.—
Felipe Cardenas,
New York Times,
1 June 2025
-
Some zodiac signs play to win, others play to connect and others… well, pure chaos.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
31 May 2025
Interjection
-
Google Users Express Anger Over Data Loss Well, gee, thanks Google.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes,
24 Mar. 2025
-
And gee if there were only a very effective way of preventing the measles.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes,
15 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Why.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/why. Accessed 11 Jun. 2025.
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