justifying

verb

present participle of justify
1
as in explaining
to be an acceptable reason for you seem to think that losing a basketball game justifies a temper tantrum

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in defending
to continue to declare to be true or proper despite opposition or objections failed to justify the need for a war at this time

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of justifying The centerpiece of the policy originally was his use of a 1977 law to declare America's longstanding trade deficits a national emergency, justifying double-digit tariffs on almost every country on Earth. — ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026 Advocacy groups are fighting to unseal the OLC’s memo justifying the deadly boat strikes in international waters. — Perry Stein, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2026 But Lewis said justifying camera movements through human mannerisms and tics also made the drone the episode’s poignant exhale. — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 13 Oct. 2026 The frontier lab’s figures are seen as key to understanding underlying demand for cutting-edge AI models, as well as justifying the huge global spending on tech infrastructure. — Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 9 Oct. 2026 Leaders must continue testing whether the assumptions justifying the original decision still hold. — Eric Reicin, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026 As the populist argument of the day went, industry leaders had proven reckless, justifying much greater federal control. — William R. Gruver, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2026 Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right government in Israel is using ancient archaeological heritage as a tool for justifying the seizure of Palestinian land in the West Bank, reports the Financial Times. — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 24 Sep. 2026 Trump had not previously cited national security in justifying the ban. — Dan Mangan, CNBC, 21 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for justifying
  1. explaining
  2. defending
  3. excusing
  4. maintaining
  5. upholding
Verb
  • The old boy was perfectly reasonable, explaining the difference between federal reimbursement and state reimbursement, and the speed that agencies move on the different levels.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
  • As this is a Lynch film, explaining the rest of the plot would be a pointless exercise, but expect plentiful violence, stylish surrealism, and a road movie that’ll shock and delight in equal measure.
    — Daisy Jones, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of explaining
Verb
  • The Knicks enter the 2026 season this week as defending NBA champions, as any New Yorker in your life would be happy to remind you.
    — Noah Shachtman, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The Administration has invoked national security in defending other projects.
    — Rebecca Schneid, Time, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of defending
Verb
  • But the series’ choice to humanize the villain without excusing her actions was intentional, Thornton explains.
    — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Advertisement Dialogue does not mean abandoning our values, excusing aggression, or accepting injustice.
    — Halla Tómasdóttir, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of excusing
Verb
  • Cooper has led wire-to-wire over Republican opponent Michael Whatley, maintaining wide polling and fundraising leads and forcing key GOP super PACs to pause spending in the race to focus elsewhere.
    — Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 26 Oct. 2026
  • While not unprecedented for a robot, what makes this feat interesting is that the robot achieved this using its legs while maintaining balance.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of maintaining
Verb
  • Courts, however, have ruled otherwise, upholding both Sullivans’ spots on the ballot.
    — Michael Kunzelman, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026
  • By contrast, the CJP considers peaceful protest, along with upholding the country’s constitution, essential elements of democracy.
    — Amrita Basu, The Conversation, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of upholding

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justify
justifying
jut
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Cite this Entry

“Justifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/justifying. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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