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
His language seems designed to rationalize ICE agents storming through Midwestern streets kitted out as if they’re headed into battle in Fallujah.
—
Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 20 Jan. 2026
And Roark identified the danger himself, in his own attempts to rationalize why machine learning would single out him, of all people.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 15 Jan. 2026
How do the Tigers rationalize their filing number?
—Jim Bowden, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
What’s required is a critical mass of moral muses who refuse to rationalize harm as progress and who lead a culture reset in guiding business logic.
—Valerie L. Myers, The Conversation, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rationalize
Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 20 Jan. 2026
And Roark identified the danger himself, in his own attempts to rationalize why machine learning would single out him, of all people.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 15 Jan. 2026
How do the Tigers rationalize their filing number?
—Jim Bowden, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
What’s required is a critical mass of moral muses who refuse to rationalize harm as progress and who lead a culture reset in guiding business logic.
—Valerie L. Myers, The Conversation, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rationalize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rationalize
Verb
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If a concept just doesn’t make sense, try explaining it out loud to a friend.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
6 Mar. 2026
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During the launch event, BYD Chairman Wang Chuanfu explained that solving charging anxiety is essential for wider EV adoption.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Instead, Hegseth pointed to threats from other weaponry such as ballistic missiles and drones that justified the operation.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
2 Mar. 2026
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That said, mortgage interest rates may already be low enough to justify taking action now.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
2 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rationalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rationalize. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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