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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:

Might this, plus the challenge of the Green Party's call for a data centre moratorium, alter Burnham's thinking?

From BBC Sep. 15, 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

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

Rather than focusing only on killing cancer cells directly, the strategy is designed to alter the surrounding environment that protects them.

From Science Daily Sep. 12, 2026

When the insertions arrived in Florence, the covering letter from Riccardi included the sentence, ‘the author may alter or embellish the wording, so long as the substance is preserved’.

From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin

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

From Salon Sep. 5, 2026

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

There is a serious debate to be had about whether fears of causing offence or being accused of prejudice alters behaviour, particularly in the public services on which we all rely.

From BBC Jun. 6, 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

Yes, urged foreign minister Shigenori Togo, because America’s atomic bomb “drastically alters the whole military situation.”

From "Bomb" by Steve Sheinkin

In Echard’s case, they alleged, she altered her own sister’s sonogram to persuade him she was pregnant, then lied about it under oath.

From The Wall Street Journal Sep. 16, 2026

In 2019, the prescription medication Trikafta altered the hopes, if not exactly the lives, of CF patients everywhere.

From The Wall Street Journal Sep. 15, 2026

Because of that altered field structure, the strongest interaction does not occur exactly at the center of the beam.

From Science Daily Sep. 13, 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

I daresay it is only a rat scrambling along the rafters of the adjoining schoolroom: it was a barn before I had it repaired and altered, and barns are generally haunted by rats.—To proceed.

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

Two of Ballmer’s top executives were also sanctioned, altering the way the team will have to operate moving forward.

From Los Angeles Times 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

Master Twyti came every Christmas without altering a hair.

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




Vocabulary lists containing alter


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