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whys and wherefores



Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Mescal doesn’t spell out the whys and wherefores of his character’s pain.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 23, 2023

As in most of Tim and Eric’s sketch humor, there are few whys and wherefores.

From New York Times • Mar. 26, 2020

It takes a while before kids interrogate the whys and wherefores of their family’s dynamics.

From Slate • Feb. 4, 2020

“I felt something new needed to be done to lay down the whys and wherefores of street life, its attractions and distractions.”

From Washington Post • Jun. 14, 2018

"The whys and wherefores cannot come within the Province of a Mineral Surveyor."

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson