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
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.
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
-
The hotel itself had certainly seen better days, but oh, the wonder of having even a bad Syrian glass of wine in a dining room literally steps away from the ruins.—
Jane Arraf,
NPR,
11 June 2025
-
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
Noun
-
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
-
And both have, for different reasons, chosen to confront the very institutions and leaders that have helped sustain their growth.—
Joel Shulman,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2025
Noun
-
The mystery lane is divided off from the other lanes with cones, plastic posts and then a low-lying barrier.—
Jim Radcliffe,
Oc Register,
6 June 2025
-
Definitely one of the better mysteries that’s come out recently.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
Noun
-
Allows Employees To Shift Focus From Failures Gamification in the workplace can shift focus away from dwelling on failures and questioning others' motives.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
-
Subramanian didn't seem to agree with Combs' attorneys on its relevance, saying that another person's lawsuit would not constitute an improper motive for testifying.—
NBC News,
NBC news,
12 June 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
-
Two completely forgettable and ultimately quite meaningless June internationals should not have anyone harking back to the golden days of yore under Southgate when, well, exactly the same thing used to happen.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
13 June 2025
-
Yet the series skewers any audience expectations about, well, everything.—
Carole Horst,
Variety,
13 June 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 17 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share