as in explains
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
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rationalizes
Verb
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But as Lilly explains to Ronnie, telling the truth now won’t do anything to absolve Hank — everyone already thinks Lilly is crazy.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
10 Nov. 2025 -
At the train station when Kelley is about to depart, Howie explains his backstory to keep Kelley from leaving.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Satisfy gets a lot of flack for its prices, but this running jacket justifies the price tag thanks to its effective modularity and (extremely) lightweight design.—
Will Porter,
Outside,
4 Jan. 2026
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While there are legitimate concerns throughout the Midwest about future reliability due to new data centers and their substantial power consumption, there is no looming emergency that justifies the administration’s action here.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Rationalizes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rationalizes. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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