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Definitions

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.

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As a protective measure, the members tried to alter the club’s bylaws to raise the voting percentage required to approve a sale of the club, some members said.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 15, 2026

"El Nino may influence tropical cyclone activity in the Central and East Pacific and could alter the risk of floods, wildfires, and other weather extremes elsewhere," it said.

From Barron's Aug. 11, 2026

The results showed that silver nanocatalysts alter the electronic structure of the electrode surface in ways that favor oxygen reduction.

From Science Daily Aug. 10, 2026

Count Binface is the satirical alter ego of comedian Jon Harvey, who has previously stood in four parliamentary elections and two London mayoral elections.

From BBC Aug. 5, 2026

“Yes. Why did she alter the facts? Jakob said Willa was looking at his books and was happy that he still had our father’s Polish-English dictionary. I didn’t know it belonged to our dad.”

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

Infant formula is designed to provide the correct balance of nutrients for babies when mothers cannot or choose not to breastfeed, and adding extra water alters that balance.

From BBC Aug. 16, 2026

Future studies could determine whether it alters other features of the mouth that contribute to healthy teeth and gums.

From Science Daily Jul. 27, 2026

I interviewed Christo in 2011, and he was eloquent about how his and his wife’s work alters perceptions of nature, and about the deliberately transient character of the art itself.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 20, 2026

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

From MarketWatch Jun. 17, 2026

“Very. But they only increase a Grisha’s power. Jurda parem alters a Grisha’s perception.”

From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo

A second draft of the letter, dated March 4, contained altered language providing that the voter information would be “transferred” to HSI, with one exception: Voters’ party affiliation would be redacted, if possible, it said.

From Salon Aug. 15, 2026

When Thoreau visited the scene a few days later, he “found women who had already altered the gowns of the passengers—presumably including Fuller’s—that their husbands and sons had stolen from the beach.”

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 14, 2026

And then there’s just how enormously California’s natural places have altered and disappeared in the century since the last grizzly was killed.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 13, 2026

Dressability in Swindon said demand for its clothing rebranding project has grown rapidly, with more than 1,000 items now altered and distributed every year.

From BBC Aug. 5, 2026

Penelope thought she had planned the day from top to bottom, but she had not planned that the children would be in a funk, and so, she realized, her plan must be altered.

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood

"Our findings suggest that the life history of blood stem cells could influence the risk of brain diseases by altering the microglia," Jaiswal said.

From Science Daily Aug. 14, 2026

Achieving that, Tiwari says, requires redesigning streets by narrowing traffic lanes, altering road surfaces and introducing other traffic-calming measures.

From BBC Aug. 6, 2026

The debate is not about whether AI is real or whether it’s reshaping the U.S. economy by fundamentally altering corporate productivity, capital allocation and the labor market.

From MarketWatch Jul. 20, 2026

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

She said yes to both, altering the trajectory of both our lives.

From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman




Vocabulary lists containing alter


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