as in explained
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rationalized
Society has rationalized the human into triviality, and we’re stuck in a bad game.
—
Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
There needs to be a takeout of some capacity and for that to be more rationalized—or demand go up significantly.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 15 Dec. 2025
The American casualties were tragic, my peers rationalized, but the real problem was American foreign policy.
—Lee Habeeb, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025
Even among some voters who were sincerely uncomfortable with Mamdani’s past rhetoric, many rationalized that an authentic Democrat with a pulse was still better than someone who might be manipulated from afar.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 5 Nov. 2025
In two key ways, aggression against Venezuela or any other Latin American country now – rationalized by Washington as a response to insufficient law enforcement against drug-running – would be dangerously unprecedented.
—Alan McPherson, The Conversation, 2 Nov. 2025
This propensity for mental acrobatics, alongside his immense arrogance, was how Epstein rationalized his crimes to himself.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 25 Oct. 2025
In 2023, the Eagles were 4-0 (and eventually 10-1), and their issues were often rationalized by pointing to the record.
—Zach Berman, New York Times, 1 Oct. 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
Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
There needs to be a takeout of some capacity and for that to be more rationalized—or demand go up significantly.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 15 Dec. 2025
The American casualties were tragic, my peers rationalized, but the real problem was American foreign policy.
—Lee Habeeb, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025
Even among some voters who were sincerely uncomfortable with Mamdani’s past rhetoric, many rationalized that an authentic Democrat with a pulse was still better than someone who might be manipulated from afar.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 5 Nov. 2025
In two key ways, aggression against Venezuela or any other Latin American country now – rationalized by Washington as a response to insufficient law enforcement against drug-running – would be dangerously unprecedented.
—Alan McPherson, The Conversation, 2 Nov. 2025
This propensity for mental acrobatics, alongside his immense arrogance, was how Epstein rationalized his crimes to himself.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 25 Oct. 2025
In 2023, the Eagles were 4-0 (and eventually 10-1), and their issues were often rationalized by pointing to the record.
—Zach Berman, New York Times, 1 Oct. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rationalized
Verb
-
In an interview with Interesting Engineering, UEL researcher Daehyun Kim explained that SCARABS focuses on exploration reliability rather than experimental payloads.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Night vision goggles worn by the pilot and hoist operator give a tube of vision, explained Atkins.—
Alan Gionet,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Previously, the three men have argued that their actions were justified, citing self-defense and their need to respond to an emergency.—
Megan O’Matz,
ProPublica,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Only one of the 13 GOP lawmakers offered a comment in response to questions about whether the ICE officer’s actions were justified.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rationalized.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rationalized. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
