as in excuses
an explanation that frees one from fault or blame
offered a weak justification for why he was so late
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Recent Examples of justifications
Gemini 3 Pro invented elaborate technical justifications for marking incorrect answers as correct, reasoning that doing so would bring the peer’s score above the shutdown threshold.
—
Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2026
Medieval monks toiling away at poetic meditations on the divine have their place, the authors allow, but their own arguments are meant to surpass mere abstract justifications for belief.
—Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2026
These fragments often convey shifting or conflicting justifications.
—Letters To The Editor, Hartford Courant, 15 Mar. 2026
Shapiro’s office also determined that three of MassDOT’s seven selection committee members did not follow the instructions to record their scoring justifications on evaluation worksheets.
—Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 13 Mar. 2026
Administration officials have offered various – and sometimes conflicting – justifications for the war, referencing Iran's growing ballistic missile program, its naval fleet, its network of terror proxy groups across the Middle East, and its nuclear ambitions.
—Claudia Grisales, NPR, 10 Mar. 2026
Critics dispute those justifications.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 6 Mar. 2026
And with legal, moral, and practical justifications so thin on the ground from the administration, whiplash has ruled the day.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 6 Mar. 2026
In other words, all the old patriotic and moral justifications for our forever wars no longer applied.
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 5 Mar. 2026
Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2026
Medieval monks toiling away at poetic meditations on the divine have their place, the authors allow, but their own arguments are meant to surpass mere abstract justifications for belief.
—Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2026
These fragments often convey shifting or conflicting justifications.
—Letters To The Editor, Hartford Courant, 15 Mar. 2026
Shapiro’s office also determined that three of MassDOT’s seven selection committee members did not follow the instructions to record their scoring justifications on evaluation worksheets.
—Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 13 Mar. 2026
Administration officials have offered various – and sometimes conflicting – justifications for the war, referencing Iran's growing ballistic missile program, its naval fleet, its network of terror proxy groups across the Middle East, and its nuclear ambitions.
—Claudia Grisales, NPR, 10 Mar. 2026
Critics dispute those justifications.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 6 Mar. 2026
And with legal, moral, and practical justifications so thin on the ground from the administration, whiplash has ruled the day.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 6 Mar. 2026
In other words, all the old patriotic and moral justifications for our forever wars no longer applied.
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 5 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for justifications
Noun
-
The excuses really don’t matter.—
Kevin Baxter,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Mar. 2026
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These things are presented not as potential excuses for the Current’s one-win/two-loss start, but as context around it.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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In this case, that blend of tradition and artistic interpretation resulted in a final product that stood out—if not entirely for the reasons the bride expected.—
Claire Dodds,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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One of the reasons American troops would be vulnerable on Kharg Island is its close proximity to the Iranian mainland, from which missiles, drones and artillery could be fired.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Justifications.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/justifications. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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