as in to explain
to give the reason for or cause of
rationalized his decision to buy the new car by noting that it was more fuel efficient than his old vehicle
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Recent Examples of rationalize
Of those seven losses, setbacks against Dallas and Chicago (while both were still trying to win) and Milwaukee could at least be rationalized.
—
Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2026
While rationalizing deception is easy to do, developing the virtue of truthfulness is not.
—Katherine Moses, The Conversation, 13 Mar. 2026
But as another voter rationalizes, the sheer size of the ballot will do more harm than good in the long run.
—Devon Ivie, Vulture, 12 Mar. 2026
True crime, as a genre, rationalizes its exploitations—people’s tragedies and traumas, recast for popular consumption—by couching the sensationalism in considerations of justice.
—Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rationalize
Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2026
While rationalizing deception is easy to do, developing the virtue of truthfulness is not.
—Katherine Moses, The Conversation, 13 Mar. 2026
But as another voter rationalizes, the sheer size of the ballot will do more harm than good in the long run.
—Devon Ivie, Vulture, 12 Mar. 2026
True crime, as a genre, rationalizes its exploitations—people’s tragedies and traumas, recast for popular consumption—by couching the sensationalism in considerations of justice.
—Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rationalize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rationalize
Verb
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Mike Jones of The Athletic explains why the lack of top-tier quarterback prospects beyond Fernando Mendoza limits the intrigue typically expected of NFL drafts.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
24 Apr. 2026
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One final metric that explains the nature of Bromley’s style is their passing sequences.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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So far, that skepticism has appeared justified.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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This seeming deference to executive interests is particularly difficult to justify in an administration willing to flout court orders.—
Gregg Nunziata,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rationalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rationalize. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
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