Thesaurus results for RATIONALIZING

rationalizing

verb

present participle of rationalize

as in explaining

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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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 rationalizing This penchant for rationalizing violence--even deadly violence--extends beyond the murder of Kirk. — Arkansas Online, 23 Sep. 2026 The offense was bad Saturday, and there’s no spin or rationalizing the performance. — Zach Berman, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026 Is there still unfinished business in rationalizing the excesses of the semiconductor surge, which formed the core of the momentum-stock frenzy? — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 10 Aug. 2026 But repeatedly rationalizing troubling information and warning signs is different. — Kathy Caprino, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 But the notion of ends rationalizing the means is problematic on many levels, most of all because without boundaries and structure there is chaos, and few have the same means and leverage at their disposal. — Vahe Gregorian july 7, Kansas City Star, 7 July 2026 As the show began to wrap up, Goldberg aimed to try to tie in the book, asking Vance about rationalizing his Catholic faith with a hard-line stance on immigration. — Meg Kinnard, Chicago Tribune, 16 June 2026 Instead of obsessively over-rationalizing or avoiding, try making friends with that feeling. — Goth Shakira contributing, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026 While rationalizing deception is easy to do, developing the virtue of truthfulness is not. — Katherine Moses, The Conversation, 13 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rationalizing

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 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, 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

Definition of justifying

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rationalizes

rationalizing

rationalness

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

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Synonyms of rationalizing

verb

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