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
Plenty of others will try to rationalize his statements anyway.
—
Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 18 Jan. 2025
The same part of me that had wanted to impress my father in college tried to understand it, to rationalize it.
—Julie Buntin, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
Those motivators are based on emotion, which is then rationalized.
—Wayne Elsey, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025
The older is progressivism’s century-old commitment to administration: the impulse to centralize and rationalize in the name of efficiency and transparency.
—Ian Tuttle, National Review, 15 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for rationalize 
Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 18 Jan. 2025
The same part of me that had wanted to impress my father in college tried to understand it, to rationalize it.
—Julie Buntin, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
Those motivators are based on emotion, which is then rationalized.
—Wayne Elsey, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025
The older is progressivism’s century-old commitment to administration: the impulse to centralize and rationalize in the name of efficiency and transparency.
—Ian Tuttle, National Review, 15 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for rationalize
Thesaurus Entries Near rationalize
Cite this Entry
“Rationalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rationalize. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.
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