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
This anxiety seems borne out of JPM's decision a little over a year ago to get ahead of the game and rationalize the following year's NII and expense expectations.
—
Fred Imbert, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2025
Boards under pressure for growth routinely make the wrong choice—rationalizing the damage as a problem for their successors.
—Andrew King, Fortune, 20 Sep. 2025
Since then, many on the right have celebrated the move and rationalized it one way or another.
—Sal Rodriguez, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025
To find the best, most up-to-date information, that validation typically involves toggling between PubMed, society guidelines, journal notifications and conference summaries, and then rationalizing information that doesn’t always align.
—Anna Forsythe, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rationalize
Fred Imbert, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2025
Boards under pressure for growth routinely make the wrong choice—rationalizing the damage as a problem for their successors.
—Andrew King, Fortune, 20 Sep. 2025
Since then, many on the right have celebrated the move and rationalized it one way or another.
—Sal Rodriguez, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025
To find the best, most up-to-date information, that validation typically involves toggling between PubMed, society guidelines, journal notifications and conference summaries, and then rationalizing information that doesn’t always align.
—Anna Forsythe, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rationalize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rationalize
Verb
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In March 2025, Chelsea gave PEOPLE an exclusive update on Max's health journey, explaining that their son has had to relearn basic functions and attend physical therapy.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
26 Oct. 2025
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The canal connected increasingly specialized regions in the early US, explains historian Roger Ransom.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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A little goes a long way, which makes the above-average price point easier to justify.—
Taylor Rock,
Better Homes & Gardens,
28 Oct. 2025
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And as obesity rates among American continue to rank far higher than those of other countries, the survey says this could help justify policy and coverage gains.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rationalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rationalize. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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