Wherefores definitions and example sentences on Wordnik

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It is a lie anyway--for neither the whys nor the wherefores are his own, and he is but a parrot with his nut of a universe Why should we cram the mind of a child with facts that have nothing to do with his own experiences, and have no relation to his own dynamic activity?

—Fantasia of the Unconscious

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Examples (50)

I won't go into the whys and wherefores, except to reiterate briefly that I've read too many of this kind of story and can usually tell where it's going within a few chapters. — Fantasy and Science Fiction - [Vol 111] - Issue 04-05 - October-November 2006
I won't go into the whys and wherefores -- suffice it to say, it was part of a complex proceeding. — F ;SF; - vol 100 issue 03 - March 2001
Laura went cagey on me when I demanded th e whys and wherefores, so I gather it must be a mackerel to catch a sprat, as the saying goes. — SLEUTH’S ALCHEMY: Cases of Mrs. Bradley and Others - Gladys Mitchell
SWARM - the whys, wherefores, and whatnots of civic engagement.
Nina would have loved it and I'm sure would have been able to tell us all about the history and the whys and wherefores, she is my history guru and someone who I love going to galleries with. — TravelPod.com Recent Updates