as in legitimate
capable of being defended with good reasoning against verbal attack
had justifiable reasons for leaving early
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Recent Examples of justifiable
While there is justifiable cause for concern about many aspects of this voluminous plan, there are also some efficiency arguments which hold some value.
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Saleem H. Ali, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024
There’s justifiable hope that a pass rush led by Brian Burns, Dexter Lawrence and Kayvon Thibodeaux can relieve some of the burden on the unproven secondary.
—Dan Duggan, The Athletic, 13 Aug. 2024
Philadelphia doesn't include all deaths in its homicide tally, such as justifiable killings (four this year) and suicides, Werner says.
—Russell Contreras, Axios, 19 Nov. 2024
Others may instead look at it as the pilots having a very justifiable reason to distrust airline management, having lost years’ of gains in the past when contracts were ripped up during airline bankruptcies.
—Brian Foley, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for justifiable 
Saleem H. Ali, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024
There’s justifiable hope that a pass rush led by Brian Burns, Dexter Lawrence and Kayvon Thibodeaux can relieve some of the burden on the unproven secondary.
—Dan Duggan, The Athletic, 13 Aug. 2024
Philadelphia doesn't include all deaths in its homicide tally, such as justifiable killings (four this year) and suicides, Werner says.
—Russell Contreras, Axios, 19 Nov. 2024
Others may instead look at it as the pilots having a very justifiable reason to distrust airline management, having lost years’ of gains in the past when contracts were ripped up during airline bankruptcies.
—Brian Foley, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for justifiable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for justifiable
Adjective
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Games where there needs to be a legitimate response and pushback. After being embarrassed 5-1 by the Boston Bruins on Saturday night — one of several lacklustre showings at Rogers Arena this season — the Vancouver Canucks had to show up with a strong effort against the Colorado Avalanche.Harman Dayal, The Athletic, 17 Dec. 2024
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This process guarantees that all advertisements are from legitimate, reliable companies only.Michael Fox, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The number of students who report that shouting down a speaker to stop a campus speech, blocking other students from attending a campus speech, and using violence to stop a campus speech is acceptable in some form has risen incrementally since 2022.Angele Latham, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024
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Red velvet is perfectly acceptable for Christmas, too.Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 19 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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By Sunday, the tip joined 200 viable leads being examined by authorities, according to Miller.Dalia Faheid, CNN, 15 Dec. 2024
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Shifting the double-double to Week 15 should help alleviate some of the strain of the early-season crunch, although obviously presenting fans with a viable option in the late window will impact the individual in-game deliveries.Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 13 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Those feelings can flood your brain, overtake some of your rational decision-making ability, and lead you to shy away from asking difficult or direct questions.Michelle Greenberg-Kobrin, Contributor, CNBC, 18 Dec. 2024
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Striking this balance between rational responsibility and intrepid innovation will ensure trust and fairness while fostering breakthroughs that define market leaders.Douglas B. Laney, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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This is a reasonable request and a fair expectation.Brian Mitchell, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
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The two are linked: Disputes are much easier to solve when all parties have a reasonable prospect of prosperity.Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 17 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Each of the new multibillion-dollar semiconductor fabrication plants being built in the United States, partially at American taxpayers’ expense, may be defensible.Scott Kennedy, Foreign Affairs, 26 Nov. 2024
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Fire experts recommend that homeowners create defensible space, reducing the vegetation, particularly within 30 feet of a house.Lauren Sommer, NPR, 17 Sep. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near justifiable
Cite this Entry
“Justifiable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/justifiable. Accessed 26 Dec. 2024.
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