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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.

See Examples For:

Still, the health issues that come with age have forced several stars to alter their plans recently.

From The Wall Street Journal Sep. 16, 2026

Voluntary standards would primarily raise costs for participating laboratories, government rules could alter competition between companies and jurisdictions, and an enforceable industrywide agreement would have the broadest implications for chip demand and capital spending.

From MarketWatch Sep. 15, 2026

Xinyue Lu, a doctoral student in Computational Biology who co-led the research, described the system as a computational test bed that can be used to explore how changes in genome folding might alter gene activity.

From Science Daily Sep. 13, 2026

Open AI models are, by definition, harder to control, as users can alter their parameters -- potentially for malicious purposes.

From Barron's Sep. 13, 2026

Radiation might knock out a piece of the cell’s DNA, change the structure of the cell wall, or alter the thickness of the fluid in the cell.

From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland

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

From Salon Sep. 5, 2026

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

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

Their research showed that probenecid alters how kidney cells handle urate, a molecule most commonly associated with gout.

From Science Daily Jun. 17, 2026

“My guess is that the needle injected you with a transmitter,” he says, “and the gas was an aerosol version of the liquid that alters the brain. But why...”

From "Insurgent" by Veronica Roth

Prosecutors alleged she altered other women’s ultrasound images to make them look like hers, fabricated a pregnancy video, bought hormone injections that could affect pregnancy-test results and repeatedly lied under oath.

From The Wall Street Journal Sep. 16, 2026

Those altered plant remains occurred throughout the dated deposits, suggesting that people repeatedly carried vegetation into the cave and burned it there across the span of the past 25,000 years.

From Science Daily Sep. 15, 2026

Kuzichkin and Mr. McCredie followed similar paths on opposite sides of the ideological divide, only to forge a partnership that, the author argues, could have altered the course of history.

From The Wall Street Journal Sep. 14, 2026

Warren also raised questions about Taylor Farms’ political contributions and lobbying, though her letter did not establish that those connections altered the government’s response.

From Salon Sep. 13, 2026

In that moment, Henry altered something in my understanding of human potential, redemption, and hopefulness.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

By altering these histones, acetyl-CoA can loosen the way DNA is packaged.

From Science Daily Sep. 14, 2026

Experts estimated that close to 400,000 people remain at risk from a myriad of life altering ailments.

From Salon Sep. 11, 2026

This includes for things like replacing windows or altering roofs.

From BBC Sep. 9, 2026

This largely involved using different weighted bats designed to teach players how to move their bodies faster without altering their core swing mechanics.

From The Wall Street Journal Sep. 1, 2026

He tapped the ball, altering its angle and freezing the goalie.

From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John




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