Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rationalizations
Noun
-
Gaza showed how power brokers from the White House on down seem eager for pretexts to punish dissent in ways that create a chilling effect, and that the hottest rhetoric from activists can be exactly that pretext.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026 -
Hamas says that Israel is creating pretexts to avoid honoring the agreement.—
Mohammed R. Mhawish,
New Yorker,
29 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
His rationales and aims change constantly.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
7 Mar. 2026
-
But each of these rationales demands a different strategy; eliminating an imminent threat involves a different set of operations than establishing peace in the region (or the world).—
Tom Nichols,
The Atlantic,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Yet even as Starbucks attempts to refocus on coffee by moving away from desserts masquerading as drinks, newer chains are making no pretenses about selling beverages that can easily tide someone over through a mealtime or two.—
Yasmin Tayag,
The Atlantic,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Johnson eventually pleaded no contest to three counts of false pretenses between $1,000 and $20,000.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Eric Musselman sat behind a microphone at the bitter end of a bitter regular season for USC, armed only with the same explanations for how a once-hopeful season could come so undone.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Some of the specific explanations the CIA had used were just crazy.—
Scott Pelley,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But these justifications also feel like something of an excuse.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
5 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
Noun
-
The sheriff made few policy arguments in his third run for office.—
Briah Lumpkins,
Charlotte Observer,
4 Mar. 2026
-
During closing arguments last week, prosecutors acknowledged the evidence presented in the case was circumstantial.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
And one of the reasons Nix wasn’t healthy was that the signal-caller had to pick up more slack in the run game once Dobbins was gone.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
10 Mar. 2026
-
For similar reasons, many of the foundations and artists’ estates once considered the ultimate authorities (like the Keith Haring Foundation and the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts) have ceased offering authentication services.—
Oscar Holland,
CNN Money,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
This moment will come in many guises.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Both marques returned to the competition this year in new guises.—
Viju Mathew,
Robb Report,
10 Feb. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Rationalizations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rationalizations. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
