Communication
Synonyms for reason
Synonyms for reason: cause, understanding and rationality. Every one of them is a hand audited pair from the Synonym Stack word bank, shown below in the sense it fits, in a real sentence, and beside the words that only look close.
The 3 synonyms for reason
Interchangeable with reason, one per sense
Audited under reason's own entry, so the meaning quoted is the one reason carries in that sense.
- causenoun, in the sense "a justification for something existing or happening"
- understandingnoun, in the sense "the capacity for rational thought or inference or discrimination"
Recorded from the other side of the pair
These entries were written under the other word and name reason as the true synonym, so the sense quoted is theirs.
- rationalityrationality is a noun in the sense "the state of having good sense and sound judgment"
The first group is filed under reason's own senses. The second reaches reason from the partner word's entry, so the sense quoted beside it is that word's.
a justification for something existing or happening
They had good reason to rejoice.
reason in 2 more sentences, same sense
- The manager gave no reason for canceling the meeting.
- She had a good reason for adding extra salt to the soup.
How it behaves: In this sense, reason typically takes a following 'for' phrase or a to-infinitive clause, as in 'reason for the delay' or 'reason to leave early', and fits both formal and everyday registers.
The true synonym
cause
Same sentence, swapped: They had good cause to rejoice.
Close but different
The game shows these three beside the answer. Each is a real word with a real meaning and none of them fits the slot reason is in above, which is the point the reason line makes.
- understanding
- rationality
- defense
the capacity for rational thought or inference or discrimination
We are told that man is endowed with reason and capable of distinguishing good from evil.
reason in 2 more sentences, same sense
- The philosophy professor argued that reason alone cannot resolve questions of faith or personal loyalty.
- Even under pressure, the young pilot relied on reason rather than panic to guide her decisions.
How it behaves: In this sense reason typically appears as the object of verbs like appeal to, exercise, or govern by, in a formal or philosophical register, often contrasted with instinct or emotion.
The true synonym
understanding
Same sentence, swapped: We are told that man is endowed with understanding and capable of distinguishing good from evil.
Close but different
The game shows these three beside the answer. Each is a real word with a real meaning and none of them fits the slot reason is in above, which is the point the reason line makes.
- cause
- ground
- attention
Opposites, in this sense
instinct and unreason reverse reason as it is used in the sentence above. A different sense of reason takes different opposites, which is why these sit inside the sense and not at the top of the page.
- instinct
- unreason
Where reason turns up in the game
reason is the word under test in two puzzles, spread across Tier 1, Foothills. It also sits on the board as one of the three wrong tiles in five other puzzles, where the answer is a different word entirely.
4 of the 5 puzzles where reason is the trap
- causenoun, Tier 1, Foothills. The answer there is drive, in the sense "a series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end", so reason is there to be ruled out.
- causeverb, Tier 1, Foothills. The answer there is make, in the sense "give rise to", so reason is there to be ruled out.
- excuseverb, Tier 1, Foothills. The answer there is explain, in the sense "serve as a reason or cause or justification of", with reason sitting one tile away.
- understandingnoun, Tier 2, Treeline. The answer there is sympathy, in the sense "an inclination to support or be loyal to or to agree with an opinion", and reason is one of the three tiles that lose.
Play reason
The bank on this page is the bank the game plays from, so reason reaches you as a board rather than a definition: the sentence first, four tiles, and the meaning after you choose.
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Closest first: other communication words at Foothills, then the same tier across the rest of the library.
The wrong tile gets explained too
Synonym Stack plays from this exact bank. reason carries 2 written reason lines, and the game shows them the moment a round ends, whichever tile you tapped.