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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:

AbuSalim, Rabinowitz and their colleagues found that these proteins are processed by gut microbes and can alter both the makeup of the microbiome and the host's metabolism.

From Science Daily Aug. 15, 2026

The self-styled intergalactic space warrior - who finished second to Nigel Farage in the Clacton by-election - is the alter ego of comedian Jon Harvey.

From BBC Aug. 14, 2026

It insisted in the gazette that the extension "has a very limited impact" on existing energy policy and "does not alter the rest of the timetable", including the full nuclear phase-out by 2035.

From Barron's Aug. 14, 2026

A new six-month trial suggests that changing how much sweet-tasting food people eat does not alter how much they enjoy sweetness.

From Science Daily Aug. 8, 2026

“If I know them, they won’t alter anything they usually do,” said Silver.

From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams

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

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

He transformed the interior and altered the exterior windows, making it difficult for the characters to see the dangers circling outside.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 18, 2026

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

A person's dementia risk is shaped partly by factors that cannot be altered, including age, gender and genetics.

From Science Daily Aug. 6, 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

Asare says the campaign has often viewed the returning diaspora simply as a means of foreign cash flow, raising prices and negatively altering local economies.

From BBC Aug. 16, 2026

Artificial intelligence is profoundly altering the digital universe, with the promise of ever greater computing power.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 2, 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

Before attempting to reshape an entire planet, we first need a much deeper understanding of Mars itself, along with the scientific, environmental, and ethical consequences of altering it.

From Science Daily Jul. 17, 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




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