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In Greek mythology, which shape-shifting sea god could alter his appearance at will?

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:

Ever since Uefa announced its plans to alter the format of the Champions League in 2021, the impact on matches has been a hot topic.

From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026

Further experiments revealed that interactions with the surface can cause molecules to align in particular directions and alter their energy levels.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 20, 2026

“It’s like my Sasha Fierce,” said Magyar, referring to the alter ego of music superstar Beyoncé.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026

AI is surpassing human abilities in pursuits from mathematics to computer programming, while threatening to alter or even eradicate many jobs.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

We were only able to piece the whole story together alter the fact, as we collected all the different accounts from everyone who was there.

From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah

That alters the calculation about when to draw benefits.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

Spanish meteorological research group Climatoc-Lab described it as "a manifestation of how global warming alters the hydrological cycle".

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

In her version, Bernhard alters the lyrics to pay tribute to Sylvester, whose untimely death left an immense legacy.

From Salon ● Sep. 5, 2026

Prolonged heat exposure alters development and threatens long-term population stability.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026

I doubt that I am overstating the case here: our capacity to understand and manipulate human genomes alters our conception of what it means to be “human.”

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Yesterday is about a struggling musician who wakes up one day to find an altered world where no-one has heard of The Beatles.

From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026

Understand the world with the help of the Muppets: In 2012, Dahlia Lithwick published a piece of cultural analysis that permanently altered how readers viewed their marriages, their workplaces, and the U.S.

From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026

As oxygen spread into the oceans, it altered the chemistry of seawater and increased concentrations of sulfate, a compound containing sulfur and oxygen.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026

The circumstances surrounding the release of “Toxicity” became even more surreal one week later, when the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks changed the country and altered the way some listeners interpreted the album.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026

Maybe it had just been taken, after she was captured—or maybe it was altered.

From "The Strangers" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Fintech companies are catching on to how Americans are altering their financial habits, and they’ve created new products to try to meet the moment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Fintech founders have caught on to how Americans are altering their financial habits, and they’ve created new products to try to meet the moment.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026

"You're altering the microbiome of your gut, and perhaps creating antibiotic resistant bacteria in your body that will fight off the drug therapy the next time you really need it," he said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026

About a decade ago, the practice was still allowed across all US state but more and more states have been altering laws.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

They were altering their course, bearing straight down on the Astrea.

From "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch" by Jean Lee Latham


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