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
No Russian thinker has worked harder than Aleksandr Dugin to rationalize the invasion of Ukraine.
—
Simon Shuster,
The Atlantic,
6 June 2026
Given the extent to which this entire offense is slumping, the manager could have rationalized benching any one of several hitters.
—
Patrick Mooney,
New York Times,
24 May 2026
The reason this is important is that humans all try to rationalize behaviors and situations.
—
Lisa Stardust,
PEOPLE,
23 May 2026
After years spent diversifying its low-end components and moving electronics down from the high end to the middle of its range, Shimano has finally decided to rationalize everything.
—
ArsTechnica,
15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for rationalize
Simon Shuster,
The Atlantic,
6 June 2026
Given the extent to which this entire offense is slumping, the manager could have rationalized benching any one of several hitters.
—
Patrick Mooney,
New York Times,
24 May 2026
The reason this is important is that humans all try to rationalize behaviors and situations.
—
Lisa Stardust,
PEOPLE,
23 May 2026
After years spent diversifying its low-end components and moving electronics down from the high end to the middle of its range, Shimano has finally decided to rationalize everything.
—
ArsTechnica,
15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for rationalize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rationalize
Verb
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Carpino retired in April, without ever explaining what was not right in the organization or, based on the standings, repairing it.
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Davies explains that Provenance adds value, as does good condition, because textiles are particularly unforgiving and easy to damage.
Verb
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Wall Street is increasingly punishing Big Tech companies for spending on AI without profits to justify it.
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Thus far, Meta was only monetizing AI through its advertising, which is a great business but can be cyclical and was not enough to justify using all its cash flow.
Cite this Entry
“Rationalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rationalize. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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