Thesaurus results for RATIONALIZED

rationalized

verb

past tense of rationalize

as in explained

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 rationalized These activists have rationalized Hamas’ terrorist attacks and embraced outright antisemitism. — Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 29 June 2026 Given the extent to which this entire offense is slumping, the manager could have rationalized benching any one of several hitters. — Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 24 May 2026 Of those seven losses, setbacks against Dallas and Chicago (while both were still trying to win) and Milwaukee could at least be rationalized. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2026 Each lie is rationalized as politics. — Literary Hub, 23 Jan. 2026 Society has rationalized the human into triviality, and we’re stuck in a bad game. — Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025 There needs to be a takeout of some capacity and for that to be more rationalized—or demand go up significantly. — Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 15 Dec. 2025 The American casualties were tragic, my peers rationalized, but the real problem was American foreign policy. — Lee Habeeb, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025 Even among some voters who were sincerely uncomfortable with Mamdani’s past rhetoric, many rationalized that an authentic Democrat with a pulse was still better than someone who might be manipulated from afar. — Philip Elliott, Time, 5 Nov. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rationalized

Verb

In an interview last year, Anthony Ciancio explained how the film was a labor of love, taking years to make.

— Jesse Wright, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026
McDowell explained that, as the rocket stage was left relatively close to the moon, it got repeatedly influenced by lunar gravity, eventually spiralling into its surface.

— Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of explained

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“Rationalized.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rationalized. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of rationalized

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