Thesaurus results for RATIONALIZE

rationalize

verb

ˈrash-nə-ˌlīz

Definition of rationalize

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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Recent Examples of rationalize When performance falls short, don’t rationalize—examine it, find the error and build preventative systems. — Brendan Keegan, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026 But DeSorbo actually does have plenty of reasons to rationalize a new look or two. — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 23 Sep. 2026 These converts, according to their chain of thought, rationalized their cheating in much the same way human cheaters do. — Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2026 The company also expects to rationalize and consolidate systems and processes, while eliminating overlapping corporate and centralized resources. — Jeff Marks, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rationalize

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rationalize

Verb

An elephantine star becoming a black hole doesn’t explain it either.

— Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Maybe this explains why Effective Altruism—the idea that generosity should be subjected to evidence and calculation—seemed counterintuitive.

— David Miliband, Time, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of explain

Verb

The targeting of civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, particularly airports, illustrates the retaliatory logic the Houthis have invoked to justify their actions.

— Laurent Bonnefoy, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026
There is always a new spectacle, a new gimmick to lure people into a theater and justify the cost of a ticket.

— Sam Fleischner, IndieWire, 14 Oct. 2026