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
Laura Manske, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2021
Not everyone may want to abandon teaching manners altogether, but these insights do suggest rethinking our approach, focusing as much on the why of courtesy as the how.
—BostonGlobe.com, 23 Oct. 2019
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
Cain opines on the why-and-how of private mega-yachts, which have grown mind-bogglingly massive (such as the 533-foot-long Eclipse, replete with submarine, owned by Russian business mogul Roman Abramovich).
—Laura Manske, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2021
Not everyone may want to abandon teaching manners altogether, but these insights do suggest rethinking our approach, focusing as much on the why of courtesy as the how.
—BostonGlobe.com, 23 Oct. 2019
See All Example Sentences for why
Recent Examples of Synonyms for why
Interjection
-
And, oh my God, the actors in that scene were so lovely and sweet and felt so bad.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
9 Mar. 2025
-
And while a preshow video displayed a parade of hairstyles that have come and gone — oh, the mullet era! — the big white cowboy hat remains.—
Matthew J. Palm,
Orlando Sentinel,
8 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
One of the reasons the positional-value conversation does take place is running backs can have shorter careers.—
Brad Biggs,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2025
-
While the free shipping perks of Amazon Prime remain the biggest reason for why most people subscribe, the quality of content on Prime Video had increasingly become a major driver.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Set against the atmospheric backdrop of 19th-century Vietnam during the Nguyễn Dynasty, the film centers on a terrifying mystery after the discovery of a headless corpse sends shockwaves through a rural village.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
31 Mar. 2025
-
Cosmic rays may offer an out-of-this-world answer to a long-standing mystery about lightning on Earth, a new study suggests.—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
31 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
In a letter distributed by the Shin Bet, Bar dismissed the claim and said the motives behind his firing were baseless.—
Rachel Wolf,
Fox News,
21 Mar. 2025
-
Deputies did not say whether Rosario and Covarrubias knew each other or provide a motive for the unprovoked assault.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacramento Bee,
20 Mar. 2025
Interjection
-
And hey, maybe the curse isn’t real and something else is happening here.—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Mar. 2025
-
And hey, who doesn’t want to save a few extra dollars for an indulgent post-trip celebration once the hard work is done?—
Tonia Ryan,
Forbes,
25 Mar. 2025
Interjection
-
What is shocking, however, is how incredibly well those who were born this century have performed, especially when compared to many artists with much longer careers.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
-
His time in the big leagues started so well he was chosen to start the 2024 All-Star Game, the fifth rookie to ever do so and the first No. 1 draft pick.—
Brendan Coffey,
Sportico.com,
21 Mar. 2025
Interjection
-
And gee if there were only a very effective way of preventing the measles.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes,
15 Mar. 2025
-
Well, gee, does Florida have to lead the United States in ridiculous?—
Letters to the Editor,
Orlando Sentinel,
8 Nov. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Why.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/why. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.
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