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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Recent Examples of rationalize
Even if annual fees on premium credit cards continue to balloon and airlines continue to raise the threshold for elite status, both industries are wagering that travelers will rationalize those costs if the lounge experience is exclusive enough.
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AFAR Media, 23 Oct. 2025
In many cases, models rationalized larger bets after losses or winning streaks, even though the rules of the game made such choices statistically unwise.
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
His successor will inherit a program that has lost any excuse that can be used to try to rationalize 15 years of mediocrity.
—Matt Baker, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
This anxiety seems borne out of JPM's decision a little over a year ago to get ahead of the game and rationalize the following year's NII and expense expectations.
—Fred Imbert, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rationalize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rationalize
Verb
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Mel explained that Chris was impressed by the move, and the two went for a run and had dinner together the next day.—
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In an interview with Entertainment Weekly's sister publication, PEOPLE, makeup artist Nick Barose explained his inspiration for creating Madigan's glam for the evening.—
Verb
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Yuba County District Attorney Clint Curry in early October cleared Rodarte and Trumm of potential wrongdoing, deeming their gunfire in response to Oliver as justified self-defense.—
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Some of Ross’s actions could be legally justified, Ramsey noted.—
Cite this Entry
“Rationalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rationalize. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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