Meaning & use
mental gymnastics
Complicated, often illogical reasoning used to justify a belief or explain away a contradiction.
See it in a sentence
It took some mental gymnastics for him to defend a decision he clearly regretted.
The politician's mental gymnastics failed to explain the sudden change in policy.
A note on using this word
Mental gymnastics is usually used critically, suggesting the reasoning is strained rather than genuinely convincing.
Words with a similar meaning
rationalizationmental contortions
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
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