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
Of those seven losses, setbacks against Dallas and Chicago (while both were still trying to win) and Milwaukee could at least be rationalized.
—
Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2026
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
Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rationalized
Verb
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As co-founder of Jason Hyde Jewelry, Deborah Singer explained, people are often surprised to learn that each piece begins as plastic pulled from the ocean, transformed through upcycling.—
Najahe Sherman,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
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The client, Mukherjee explained, was in the midst of a life-threatening medical crisis.—
Sarah Stillman,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Senior Iranian leaders have repeatedly denied Israel’s legitimacy, predicted its destruction and framed that outcome as inevitable and justified.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
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Customs and Border Protection rules say that pepper balls and other projectiles should not be aimed at vulnerable areas such as the head or spine unless deadly force is justified.—
Rebekah Riess,
CNN Money,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rationalized.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rationalized. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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