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
That argument can help rationalize the Islanders’ decision to make this trade in the first place, with Matthew Schaefer incoming.
—
Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 10 July 2025
Yet, instead of universal outrage, attempts to justify this atrocity have already begun — as if these cold-blooded murders can somehow be rationalized by events in Gaza thousands of miles away.
—Laurence Milstein, Sun Sentinel, 4 June 2025
The group again tries to rationalize the morality of killing the baby.
—Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 27 June 2025
Walking the Talk as a Role Model Too many leaders assume organizational rules don't apply to them, creating double standards and rationalizing inappropriate behavior.
—Joseph Folkman, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for rationalize
Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 10 July 2025
Yet, instead of universal outrage, attempts to justify this atrocity have already begun — as if these cold-blooded murders can somehow be rationalized by events in Gaza thousands of miles away.
—Laurence Milstein, Sun Sentinel, 4 June 2025
The group again tries to rationalize the morality of killing the baby.
—Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 27 June 2025
Walking the Talk as a Role Model Too many leaders assume organizational rules don't apply to them, creating double standards and rationalizing inappropriate behavior.
—Joseph Folkman, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for rationalize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rationalize
Verb
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Police officials will explain how the new police drones can be remotely deployed and piloted toward the scene of an incident from docks placed across the city.—
Cameron Knight,
The Enquirer,
26 July 2025
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Malone explained that over time, however, your brain adapts by adding more adenosine receptors, which makes caffeine less effective at the same dose.—
Mira Miller,
Verywell Health,
25 July 2025
Verb
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Still, the Justice Department has argued that the public's interest in Epstein's and Maxwell's cases justifies treating the transcripts from their grand jury proceedings differently.—
Aysha Bagchi,
USA Today,
5 Aug. 2025
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Invoking national security to justify private sector economic development is a tired cliché.—
Kevin Green,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rationalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rationalize. Accessed 8 Aug. 2025.
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