Excuse
Excuse verb - To dismiss as of little importance.
Usage example: more often than not, voters are willing to excuse a candidate's youthful indiscretion
Rationalize is a synonym for excuse in right topic. In some cases you can use "Rationalize" instead a verb "Excuse", when it comes to topics like justify, forgive. popular alternative
Rationalize
Rationalize verb - To give the reason for or cause of.
Usage example: rationalized his decision to buy the new car by noting that it was more fuel efficient than his old vehicle
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Synonyms for Rationalize
Excuse is a synonym for rationalize in justify topic. You can use "Excuse" instead a verb "Rationalize", if it concerns topics such as right. popular alternative
Mutual synonyms
Related pairs
- pardon and excuse
- pardon and rationalize
- warrant and excuse
- warrant and rationalize
- reason and excuse
- reason and rationalize
- condone and excuse
- condone and rationalize
- absolve and excuse
- absolve and rationalize
- exculpate and excuse
- exculpate and rationalize
- palliate and excuse
- palliate and rationalize
Common collocations
Both words in one sentence
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A common joke of the series is that Smedley is trying to rationalize and excuse their behavior.
Source: Western Animation / Chilly Willy - And while some of them use it to justify truly Jerkass behavior (or rather, rationalize the jerkass thing they want to do with a religious excuse), most of them are shown struggling with their faith at one point or another, even the Alpha Bitch.
Source: Holier Than Thou -
People are so freaked out by the supernatural that humanity as a whole will come up with any excuse they can think of to rationalize it away.
Source: Masquerade
Cite this Source
Rationalize and Excuse. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 16, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/excuse/rationalize
Excuse & Rationalize. N.p., 2016. Web. 16 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/excuse/rationalize>.
Rationalize or Excuse. 2016. Accessed August 16, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/excuse/rationalize.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "excuse" and "rationalize" have occurred on timeline