REASONS Synonyms: 153 Similar and Opposite Words

reasons 1 of 2

noun

plural of reason

as in explanations

a statement given to explain a belief or act she gave a good reason for her seemingly suspicious behavior

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in motives

something (as a belief) that serves as the basis for another thing a firm belief that we are here on earth to help others is the reason for her tireless volunteer work

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as in excuses

an explanation that frees one from fault or blame what reason do you have for being in such a bad mood?

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as in causes

someone or something responsible for a result what's the meteorological reason for tornadoes?

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

reasons

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of reason

as in derives

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

as in argues

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

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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 reasons

Noun

Among their reasons for concern is Ohio’s poor track record when women are on the ballot. — Philip Elliott, Time, 19 Oct. 2026 These tools are primarily used by those who make less than $50,000 according to a 2022 Government Accountability Office report, with food and rent being the key reasons people use the service, one case study of food and restaurant workers found. — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026 The reasons for Atlanta's and Golden State's absences Saturday were not immediately clear. — Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026 Perhaps one of the reasons that the Fizz was so popular was that it was consumed directly after creation, when its flavor and temperature and texture were at their absolute peak. — Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 17 Oct. 2026 But solid bank earnings and a rotation beyond tech gave us reasons for optimism. — Alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 17 Oct. 2026 Minors can also temporarily possess firearms for lawful reasons, such as hunting or target practice. — Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2026 Authorities are investigating whether fires were deliberately set for political reasons ahead of this month’s presidential runoff. — ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026 But the National Association of Broadcasters, who represent the radio stations, argues there are serious safety reasons to keep analog AM radio in cars. — Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2026

Verb

The consultant reasons by filling a notebook with calculations, then hands you a one-sentence answer, and keeps the notebook. — Adam Fish, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026 How the Fed reasons its way to agreements is as important as the agreements. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 18 June 2026 The system reasons underneath, processing infinitely complex 3D scenarios, handling trade clashes, regulations and tradeoffs - learning from user feedback over time to eliminate the need for users to supervise its intelligence. — Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for reasons

Noun

But Gottschald has learned that beneath those initial explanations often lie more complicated concerns.

— Meghana Keshavan, STAT, 16 Oct. 2026
These ideas appeared far less often in our participants’ explanations of what teaching resembles.

— Gustavo E. Fischman, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of explanations

Noun

While some are staunchly pro-Clarkson in the debate that has since taken over the internet, others have questioned the singer’s motives for calling out the small business across her social media accounts.

— Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
Over the decades, the motives for ending public executions and moving them into prisons have varied – frequently separate from debates over capital punishment.

— the Monitor's Editorial Board, Christian Science Monitor, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of motives

Noun

Much like Parton, Judd lets her actions speak louder than her words, and one of the causes closest to her heart is helping military service members.

— Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Suicide is one of the biggest causes of death of young men under 50 globally.

— Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of causes

Verb

FirstDate primarily derives those preferences from questionnaires.

— Matthew Tan, CNBC, 4 Oct. 2026
The power of prediction markets derives precisely from sucking our attention toward what’s speculable—incentivizing the networked crowd to separate signal from noise at scale.

— Simon Denny, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of derives

Verb

Nobody seriously argues that the gap proves our police, prosecutors, judges, and juries are biased against men.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
The group is chaired by Amy Kremer, a longtime Tea Party activist who argues Republicans are missing an opportunity to lead on AI policy that doesn’t cater to big companies.

— Ashley Gold, semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of argues

Noun

Theoretical arguments suggest that a substantial part, if not all, of the randomness in the world is of quantum origin.

— Philipp Strasberg, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Lincoln lost that year, but the country benefited from their arguments over the legality and morality of slavery.

— Editorial Board, Washington Post, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of arguments

Noun

Tina was granted a divorce on grounds of cruelty, one of the few legal justifications for divorce in 1903.

— Andrew Coletti, Popular Science, 14 Oct. 2026
Well, it’s generally focused on the origins of and justifications for Baldwin’s multi-decade persecution complex.

— Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026