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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rationalize
Expect a material slowdown in employment, lower interest rates, and a lot of rationalizing about why the economy is being deliberately slowed to save it.
—
Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
To employees, Altman used the specter of US adversaries advancing AI research faster than OpenAI to rationalize why the company needed to be less and less open while working as fast as possible.
—Karen Hao, Wired News, 21 May 2025
In a country shackled and scarred by race, religion, gender, and class, much of that rationalized and reified by mainline American churches, the Disciples were genial revolutionists offering inclusion, education, and empowerment for those at the margins.
—Richard D. Mahoney, JSTOR Daily, 30 Apr. 2025
Given this reality, Israelis’ attribution of collective responsibility for the Oct. 7 attack creates a troubling moral calculus that rationalizes civilian suffering.
—Carlo Koos, The Conversation, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for rationalize
Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
To employees, Altman used the specter of US adversaries advancing AI research faster than OpenAI to rationalize why the company needed to be less and less open while working as fast as possible.
—Karen Hao, Wired News, 21 May 2025
In a country shackled and scarred by race, religion, gender, and class, much of that rationalized and reified by mainline American churches, the Disciples were genial revolutionists offering inclusion, education, and empowerment for those at the margins.
—Richard D. Mahoney, JSTOR Daily, 30 Apr. 2025
Given this reality, Israelis’ attribution of collective responsibility for the Oct. 7 attack creates a troubling moral calculus that rationalizes civilian suffering.
—Carlo Koos, The Conversation, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for rationalize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rationalize
Verb
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Furthermore these efforts should also find ways to explain the costs of AI use from an environmental perspective.—
Ron Schmelzer,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2025
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Nivola in Lochlan’s season-ending near-death experience and Koch in a one-take episode in which Erik explains to his attorney the abuse within the Menendez household.—
Daniel D'Addario,
Variety,
7 June 2025
Verb
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But as cloud spend goes up, the need to justify cost efforts and demonstrate cost avoidance to execs will increase.—
Adrian Bridgwater,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
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His breezy accounts betray no anxiety to justify the expense of sending him around the world.—
Caity Weaver,
The Atlantic,
5 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rationalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rationalize. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
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