as in to mix
to place or do (different things) so that one follows the other in a repeated series
To make the appetizer, you should alternate layers of tomatoes and cheese. The poem alternates fear and hope.
Related Words
Relevance
1
as in alternative
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
2
as in backup
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
3
as in seasonal
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
as in substitute
Related Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of alternate
Francesca Gariano, PEOPLE, 18 June 2026
The east lane of the Gatún locks was closed for dry lock maintenance from June 9-17, forcing arriving vessels to alternate in a single lane.
—Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 18 June 2026
Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 21 June 2026
Then came 13 birdies over the next 30 holes, a spot in the qualifier playoff and, ultimately, first-alternate status.
—Brendan Quinn, New York Times, 20 June 2026
Caroline Price, Forbes.com, 21 May 2026
The fire has forced to shut down Card Sound Road for several hours on both Monday and Tuesday due to the fire and smoky conditions in the area, forcing drivers to take US-1 as an alternate to and from the Florida Keys.
—Manuel Bojorquez, CBS News, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for alternate
Verb
On off days in the villa, the boys and girls would alternate every other week to split the responsibility.
—Francesca Gariano, PEOPLE, 18 June 2026
The east lane of the Gatún locks was closed for dry lock maintenance from June 9-17, forcing arriving vessels to alternate in a single lane.
—Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 18 June 2026
Adjective
Walnut trees have an alternate branching pattern and produce large, pinnately compound leaves.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 21 June 2026
Then came 13 birdies over the next 30 holes, a spot in the qualifier playoff and, ultimately, first-alternate status.
—Brendan Quinn, New York Times, 20 June 2026
Noun
An Olympic alternate and World team champion with Team USA, Roberson was considered a top recruit by more than a dozen collegiate programs.
—Caroline Price, Forbes.com, 21 May 2026
The fire has forced to shut down Card Sound Road for several hours on both Monday and Tuesday due to the fire and smoky conditions in the area, forcing drivers to take US-1 as an alternate to and from the Florida Keys.
—Manuel Bojorquez, CBS News, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for alternate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for alternate
Verb
-
Drug dealers mix fentanyl, because of its potency and low cost, with other drugs including heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine, which increases the likelihood of a fatal dose, according to the DEA.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
16 June 2026
-
The Vikings mixed him in with some of the second-team defenders during minicamp.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
Business executives have already poured millions of dollars into groups that oppose the billionaire tax or are promoting alternative solutions to wealth inequality.—
Queenie Wong,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
-
Residents should clear dead or dying vegetation around their homes, landscape with fire-resistant plants and nonflammable ground cover, and find alternative ways to dispose of landscape debris, according to Cal Fire’s Nevada-Yuba-Placer Unit.—
Haley Parsley,
Sacbee.com,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
Sure, having a ridiculous number of backup products would ensure that there is no need unaddressed, mass considerations for spaceflight are extremely serious and future missions will need to have better data to know what will be needed in a microgravity environment.—
Chelsea Gohd,
Space.com,
19 June 2026
-
Other essentials include international health insurance, knowledge of visa and tax requirements, backup power solutions and emergency savings to handle travel disruptions.—
Bryan Robinson,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
Adjective
-
Miniso aims to bring the element of surprise to each visit, according to its website, combining new arrivals with seasonal good and exclusive collaborations.—
Corey Schmidt,
Sacbee.com,
21 June 2026
-
This seasonal turn pulls you toward a time of reflection.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
21 June 2026
Noun
-
Veteran substitute Arnautovic appeared to have restored Austria’s lead in the 67th minute from a goalmouth scramble, but that was ruled out as Stefan Posch handled in the area.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
-
In 2023, Manchester United was losing by a goal to Brentford when McTominay was sent on as an attacking-midfield substitute, and scored both a late equalizer and a winner in the final minutes.—
Ed Caesar,
New Yorker,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
Tandoori Pizza is best known for combining classic Indian dishes, like tandoori chicken, malai paneer, curry chicken and chicken tikka and serving it on a pizza crust, the website showed.—
Emma Hall,
Sacbee.com,
17 June 2026
-
India is the primary engine of that growth, adding 366 million SVOD subscriptions across the decade – more than the rest of APAC ex-China combined – with the JioHotstar bundle driving a step-change in 2025.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
Marc Moore and his neighbors along the Long Beach Peninsula have spent night after recent night watching the water spill over makeshift sand berms and wood panels put up to try to hold the ocean’s force back.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
18 June 2026
-
Shortly after, cinematographer Pat Scola’s overhead view of a makeshift cemetery is a stunner.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
Adjective
-
Under these, General Atomics and Anduril are tasked by the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program to develop their prototype YFQ-42A and YFQ-44A aircraft into serial production as the FQ-42A and FQ-44.—
David Szondy
June 20,
New Atlas,
20 June 2026
-
Three men, including Jackman, have all been tied to serial rapes in the Westport area in the 1980s.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Alternate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alternate. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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