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
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Recent Examples of rationalized
Each lie is rationalized as politics.
—
Literary Hub, 23 Jan. 2026
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
Literary Hub, 23 Jan. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rationalized
Verb
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With the new headquarters, Chan explained, Bonhams hope to widen their base of collectors through their larger exhibition space and programming around how to start or improve a collection across art, jewelry, antiquities, wine and other collectibles.—
Jacqui Palumbo,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
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Bryan Hoyos, the mill’s director of North American marketing, explained how HV100 utilizes variocut technology to create varying staples lengths of Tencel fiber.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The thing to remember is these administrative arrest warrants have been deemed justified by courts in immigration purposes.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
24 Jan. 2026
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If Orlando were merely a ghost city being floated by Rays owners, skepticism would be justified.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rationalized.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rationalized. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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