How to Use justify in a Sentence

justify

verb

• The fact that we are at war does not justify treating innocent people as criminals.
• He tried to justify his behavior by saying that he was being pressured unfairly by his boss.
• Used to justify the murder of Black and brown people at the hands of the state.
  — Utsha G. Khatri, STAT, 27 Oct. 2023
• In Mary’s video, the teacher can be heard justifying his use of the slur.
  — Jonathan Edwards, Anchorage Daily News, 16 May 2023
• Pelton wasn't done justifying his mark for the Suns for the deal.
  — Jeremy Cluff, The Arizona Republic, 20 June 2023
• If the agent who opened fire on the would-be thieves feared for his life, or the life of someone else, he would have been justified in the shooting.
  — Michael Ruiz, Fox News, 18 Nov. 2023
• Or did the city use taxpayer funds for reasons that are hard to justify?
  — Joe Rubin, Sacramento Bee, 25 Mar. 2024
• So what would justify taking over the airways and sending a text to most people in all 50 states?
  — Heather Kelly, Washington Post, 3 Oct. 2023
• That should be a one-time event, which justifies dipping into the reserves.
  — Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Jan. 2024
• The steep price might be hard to justify, but the brand's lifetime guarantee can give you peace of mind about your purchase.
  — Theresa Holland, Peoplemag, 5 June 2023
• In the past, those budgets were justified with movies that crossed $1 billion worldwide with ease.
  — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 5 July 2023
• And the Hamas terrorist attacks can be seen as justified in the context of 75 years of colonial rule.
  — Ross Barkan, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2024
• Only two found that the officers’ use of force was not justified.
  — Adiel Kaplan, NBC News, 8 Dec. 2023
• This was a coup attempt, and Eastman’s memo was merely a thin veneer of legalese to justify it.
  — Matt Ford, The New Republic, 2 Aug. 2023
• The guards have little power to enforce the law or the M.T.A.’s rules, which has prompted questions about whether the cost of hiring them was justified.
  — Ana Ley, New York Times, 5 June 2023
• The $32 price tag may feel steep to some, but the pore-defeating and ultra-smoothing results are sure to justify the cost.
  — Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 14 June 2023
• By contrast, even the most notable bites here – one set on and around a blimp comes to mind – hardly seem to justify consuming the whole thing.
  — Brian Lowry, CNN, 11 Aug. 2023
• If God wanted to destroy the whole of mankind, Calvin says, he would be justified by our sinfulness.
  — James Wood, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024
• So the Phone 2 has received a substantial price bump for Nothing to justify.
  — Jon Porter, The Verge, 11 July 2023
• The 49ers tried to justify their investment last year by installing Lance as the starter entering the season.
  — Ben Volin, BostonGlobe.com, 26 Aug. 2023
• What kind of part-time charity work would justify that?
  — Billy Witz, New York Times, 31 Dec. 2023
• Ask Yadi: Is my road rage justified when idiot drivers wait to merge until the last minute?
  — Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland, 17 Aug. 2023
• But the angst preceding the 2023 season proved justified, ahead of a cellar-dwelling season.
  — Nate Davis, The Enquirer, 11 Jan. 2024
• What to Consider The high price tag may be hard to justify for those that have no use for this model’s extra features.
  — Jessica MacDonald, Travel + Leisure, 27 Oct. 2023
• But the panel said the second officer’s 12th shot was not justified.
  — Peter Hermann, Washington Post, 13 Jan. 2024
• Israel has justified the attack, claiming the presence of a missile launcher in the parish.
  — Timothy H.j. Nerozzi Fox News, Fox News, 17 Dec. 2023
• At $400 each (plus labor), the switch was pricey, but their prominent placement justified the splurge.
  — Charlotte Safavi, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Aug. 2023
• Benioff couldn’t justify the deal and, despite his initial outreach, chose to save his money and walk away.
  — Kurt Wagner, Fortune, 21 Feb. 2024
• The movie, like any trans person coming out of the closet, opens itself up to the complete madness of contemporary life and cannot justify any of it.
  — Abraham Josephine Riesman, Rolling Stone, 8 Apr. 2024
• Thus, even the noblest of goals, no matter how righteous, cannot justify improper means.
  — Lauren McGaughy, Dallas News, 14 June 2023

Last Updated: 6 May 2024