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Definitions
Trivia Time
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:

The U.S. government will release key inflation reports next week, which could alter expectations.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026

The government will release key inflation reports next week, which could alter expectations.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026

It will alter streaming for millions, usher in a new chapter in the film and TV industry, and leave one of the biggest US news outlets, CNN, in uncertain territory.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

This allows researchers to investigate how generations of stars alter the gas inside and around galaxies across billions of years of evolution.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 3, 2026

And Play God, to permanently alter the landscape.

From "Warcross" by Marie Lu

This effectively alters the cosmic ruler used to measure distances and, in turn, the value of the Hubble constant inferred from the model, helping to ease the Hubble tension.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 4, 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

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026

Whether released into soil or water or a man’s blood, these unrelated chemicals do not remain segregated; there are mysterious and unseen changes by which one alters the power of another for harm.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

The U.S. release ended up with an altered track listing that highlighted the group’s folkier leanings; Joni Mitchell wore the grooves out on her copy and slipped “Norwegian Wood” into her coffeehouse sets in Detroit.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

Instead, it became a meeting point for several different water systems that altered the same rocks at different stages of Mars' history.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 30, 2026

Hickey said it would be unfair on other entrants if it turned out the winning video was unfairly altered by AI.

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

Advisers have said Anthropic could have a fundraising advantage if it beats OpenAI to the public markets and that OpenAI’s altered timeline likely removed some urgency from Anthropic’s IPO plans.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

Griffith’s and Muller’s experiments had pointed to a material substance, a chemical that could move between organisms and was quite easily altered by X-rays.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

But studies show that infrastructure development and tourism are squeezing its habitat, while increasing noise is altering how it communicates with potential mates and rivals.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

By altering this protective environment rather than targeting only the cancer cells themselves, vitamin D analogs could offer a way to make other therapies more effective.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 4, 2026

Their system also assigns a “pointer” to sounds—for instance, altering pitch, harmony and texture to signal high or low blood pressure and severity.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

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

From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026

The Wart found that he could keep more or less level by altering the inclination of his arm fins and the ones on his stomach.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White




Vocabulary lists containing alter


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