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alter

[awl-ter] / ˈɔl tər /




Usage

What is another way to say alter? To alter is to make some partial change, as in appearance, while still preserving the identity: to alter a dress, as by raising the hem (to change a dress would mean to put on a different one). To change is to make a material difference so that something is distinctly different from what it was: to change one's opinion. 

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Is the dog a fellow flâneur in the Weimar city, a mirror of its owner, or perhaps his alter ego?

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 17, 2026

The experiments also revealed that changing the shape of the arms can alter and control the water jets.

From Science Daily Jul. 17, 2026

By simply changing the number of bubbles in each droplet, the team found they could dramatically alter the pattern left behind as the liquid evaporated.

From Science Daily Jul. 11, 2026

You did kind of alter her song forever for a certain generation.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 10, 2026

According to the New York Times, "it's been estimated by some intelligence experts that Mr. Walker provided enough code-data information to alter significantly the balance of power between Russia and the United States."

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau

He used his remission to promote CAR T-cell therapy, which genetically alters one’s cells to fight cancer, after he said chemotherapy stopped working.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 13, 2026

The change significantly alters the players’ preparation, starting with meal times, Aguirre told Mexican radio.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 3, 2026

Moreover, the repeal of this rule substantially alters settlement dynamics.

From MarketWatch Jun. 17, 2026

As climate change alters wind patterns and ocean behavior, the forces acting on these systems may also affect how energy moves through turbulent flows.

From Science Daily Jun. 3, 2026

“The transmitter and the liquid that induces the simulation. The transmitter communicates information to the brain from the computer, and vice versa, and the liquid alters the brain to put it in a simulation state.”

From "Insurgent" by Veronica Roth

It also altered the structure and chemistry of the oceanic plate beneath it.

From Science Daily Jul. 18, 2026

The honorary research fellow at Cardiff University said he was not surprised that young people who grew up in an environment where your actions end up online have altered behaviour.

From BBC Jul. 18, 2026

Geological evidence from impacts more than 650 million years old is scarce because Earth's surface is constantly being altered and recycled.

From Science Daily Jul. 18, 2026

It was also the period when he altered his mental approach to the game.

From BBC Jul. 15, 2026

I had a date that weekend with a girl—a pretty girl who did not scowl— and I had a new suit and I wanted to get it altered for the date.

From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman

They have known for decades that climate change is altering the frequency and intensity of several types of extreme weather events, including hurricanes, heat waves and extreme rainfall.

From Barron's Jul. 16, 2026

Users said ADI Predictstreet mismanaged the contest, unexpectedly shifting the dates of snapshots and altering the rules, then failing to deliver tickets.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 12, 2026

The findings, published in Gut Microbes, introduce a new approach to cancer treatment that uses living bacteria to directly target tumors rather than simply altering the gut microbiome.

From Science Daily Jul. 10, 2026

Their bodies also activate different biological pathways associated with wax production, effectively altering how they function while performing this task.

From Science Daily Jun. 23, 2026

In being man-made — by ingenious laboratory manipulation of the molecules, substituting atoms, altering their arrangement — they differ sharply from the simpler insecticides of prewar days.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson




Vocabulary lists containing alter


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