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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:

The researchers conclude that protein restriction can improve metabolism, alter the way cells react to nutrients, limit cellular damage, and help cells maintain normal function.

From Science Daily Aug. 2, 2026

Leng noted that previous research has shown that treating sleep disorders can alter brain wave activity recorded during sleep.

From Science Daily Jul. 31, 2026

The platform offers its own AI tools to alter content, and so AI "enhanced or edited" content will still be part of its recommendations to users.

From BBC Jul. 31, 2026

Launches and re-entries can generate a lot of noise, alter wildlife habitats and impact surrounding landscapes in other ways.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 28, 2026

It was not, however, enough time to prevent the course of events, only to alter them; which the passengers and crew did bravely, even though it cost them all their lives.

From "Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story" by Nora Raleigh Baskin

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

“But surely it alters them very much, living like that?” asked Dandelion.

From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams

As a professor of classics at the University of Pennsylvania, she’ll be on the front line of academics condemned to unteach Nolan’s heavily altered screenplay to students who will arrive quoting it chapter and verse.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 4, 2026

When researchers altered the activity of either molecule, the ants changed their behavior.

From Science Daily Aug. 1, 2026

Games will span seven innings and the league will use aluminum bats featured in college baseball and softball, while outfield dimensions were altered to be closer to the Women’s World Cup field dimensions.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 31, 2026

The State Department has described it as "an unfortunate error" caused when a team member "hurriedly altered" the slide deck before the event.

From BBC Jul. 31, 2026

It had changed the face of our village beyond recognition and altered the lives of its inhabitants in a myriad ways.

From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya

The Bureau of Economic Analysis is altering how it measures several components of a price gauge watched by the Fed.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 20, 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

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

I’d watched him sketch those blueprints, watched him perform the calculations, altering this angle or lengthening that beam.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover




Vocabulary lists containing alter


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