Thesaurus.com
Dictionary.com
Showing results for alter. Search instead for mahltet.
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:

Whether his high-stakes sequel can alter the economics of professional tennis remains to be seen.

From Los Angeles Times Sep. 9, 2026

Pushback from the fisheries industry was enough for Canada to alter its counter-tariffs by removing dozens of seafood items to avoid unintended consequences to its own economy.

From BBC Sep. 8, 2026

Research suggests diseases can alter the chemicals released by the body, creating distinctive odours.

From Barron's Sep. 7, 2026

Inaccurate numbers, she noted, might prompt users to alter habits or medications.

From The Wall Street Journal Sep. 6, 2026

Taking our powers of rapid cognition seriously means we have to acknowledge the subtle influences that can alter or undermine or bias the products of our unconscious.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell

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

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

"By reducing both inflammation and pain, GAE with resorbable microspheres may be the first procedure that alters the course of the disease, slowing its progression."

From Science Daily Jun. 17, 2026

I need to find out whether the wind goes always in that direction or whether it alters like the air currents during the day and the night.

From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman

Mr. Fetterman nearly died of a stroke days before his 2022 primary, and the close encounter with mortality altered his political outlook.

From The Wall Street Journal Sep. 6, 2026

What’s even more frustrating is that, when it was first announced, the Met said the exhibition would address the derogatory conduct that fundamentally altered Galliano’s career and reception.

From Salon Sep. 5, 2026

In these models, the altered thalamic signals behaved differently from signals made by unaffected cells.

From Science Daily Sep. 4, 2026

Some automakers also altered their plans under federal pressure.

From Los Angeles Times Sep. 4, 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

Scientists say the warming climate is already altering the risks facing the Himalayan region.

From Barron's Sep. 3, 2026

Mis-splicing appeared across thousands of genes, potentially altering how important proteins function throughout damaged liver cells.

From Science Daily Aug. 31, 2026

He said what happened with Afropunk is “a tale as old as time” and Morgan being outside of the movement led to “moneyed interests” altering what Spooner had created.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 20, 2026

His decision was the clearest example of the seismic shift that is permanently altering the shape of football careers.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 17, 2026

"You did a good job altering the wedding dress, Baba," Turtle said, which made the dressmaker cry even harder.

From "The Westing Game" by Ellen Raskin




Vocabulary lists containing alter


Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training