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

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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

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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

They were found to sharply increase how long people continued to engage, but often for reasons of anger and curiosity, rather than enjoyment. — Pascal Vrticka, Scientific American, 4 Oct. 2026 Activated by eminent domain Cook, an insurance agent living in Sugarloaf Township next door, has her own reasons to oppose the data center project. — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2026 In the 2022 election, the second round of the election saw a sharp uptick in political violence, with dozens of people physically attacking each other for political reasons, Brazilian news site Pública reported. — Catherine Osborn, NPR, 4 Oct. 2026 Jair Bolsonaro, now under humanitarian house arrest for health reasons, is barred from running and is serving a 27-year sentence after being convicted of attempting a coup to overturn his 2022 election loss. — Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2026 Offensive lineman Lane Johnson was a late scratch for personal reasons. — ABC News, 4 Oct. 2026 That's an exceptionally long totality and one of the main reasons this eclipse is attracting so much attention. — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 3 Oct. 2026 The Bass campaign, citing the fact that Raman appeared on Piker’s stream the same day, fired off an email to reporters claiming the councilmember had lied about her reasons for missing the Jewish heritage event. — James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026 Consider this a suitcase of reasons to get dressed up in New York City. — Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 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

State officials have not offered any explanations about what went wrong.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
Jones said the team believes its drilling results raise questions about some previous explanations of the site as a natural rock formation.

— Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of explanations

Noun

The rules, which are never explained, are put there as flimsy excuses for aspects of the pilot that don’t hold together otherwise.

— Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026
Only to see them, after winning elections, get strong-armed by the party, then offer lame excuses as to why.

— Colleen Kujawa, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of excuses

Noun

Some experts point to worsening public health since the 2008 financial crisis, citing factors such as growing obesity, long hospital waiting times, the cost-of-living crisis and other social causes.

— The Week UK, TheWeek, 4 Oct. 2026
The official causes of death for both were deferred, pending further investigation.

— Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of causes

Verb

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
The second type, structural assets, derives value from categorical assertion.

— Joseph Byrum, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of derives

Verb

Ideas expressed in the piece The article argues that the rollback favors automakers and the oil industry over consumers, public health and the climate.

— Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
Chidgasornpongse argues that capitalist accumulation can persist even within such sacred walls.

— Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of argues

Noun

The new Type 01—revealed today in New York—will be judged by the same standards, with the arguments already begun and the marque, again, putting its future on the line.

— Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 7 Oct. 2026
Those decisions have been handed down after months of consideration, including oral arguments.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of arguments

Noun

Catch and eliminate personal excuses, justifications, or peer comparisons.

— Brendan Keegan, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026
Despite such justifications, these cuts, closures and layoffs have caused morale to plummet at Goddard, some current workers say, and have left management increasingly disconnected from the research center’s day-to-day operations.

— Eric Niiler, Scientific American, 22 Sep. 2026