VARY Synonyms: 64 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'vary' different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of vary are alter , change , and modify . While all these words mean "to make or become different," vary stresses a breaking away from sameness, duplication, or exact repetition. // vary your daily routine

Q: When is 'alter' a more appropriate choice than 'vary'?

While the synonyms alter and vary are close in meaning, alter implies a difference in some particular respect without suggesting loss of identity. // slightly altered the original design

Q: When is it sensible to use 'change' instead of 'vary'?

The words change and vary can be used in similar contexts, but change implies making either an essential difference often amounting to a loss of original identity or a substitution of one thing for another. // changed the shirt for a larger size

Q: When might 'modify' be a better fit than 'vary'?

The synonyms modify and vary are sometimes interchangeable, but modify suggests a difference that limits, restricts, or adapts to a new purpose. // modified the building for use by the disabled

vary

verb

ˈver-ē

Definition of vary next

as in to differ

to be unlike; to not be the same opinions by experts on the subject vary

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to change

to make different in some way varied the method occasionally for the sake of experimentation

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to range

to occur within a continuous range of variation the appliance store is offering discounts that vary from 10 to 40 percent, depending upon the brand

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in to shift

to pass from one form, state, or level to another terrain that constantly varied as we traveled from the coast to the interior

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word vary different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of vary are alter, change, and modify. While all these words mean "to make or become different," vary stresses a breaking away from sameness, duplication, or exact repetition.

vary your daily routine

When is alter a more appropriate choice than vary?

While the synonyms alter and vary are close in meaning, alter implies a difference in some particular respect without suggesting loss of identity.

slightly altered the original design

When is it sensible to use change instead of vary?

The words change and vary can be used in similar contexts, but change implies making either an essential difference often amounting to a loss of original identity or a substitution of one thing for another.

changed the shirt for a larger size

When might modify be a better fit than vary?

The synonyms modify and vary are sometimes interchangeable, but modify suggests a difference that limits, restricts, or adapts to a new purpose.

modified the building for use by the disabled

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of vary Wait times varied early Tuesday at voting centers across Central Indiana as Hoosiers headed to the polls. —

Jenny Porter Tilley, The Indianapolis Star, 5 Nov. 2024 Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, with polling hours varying by state law. —

Ashley Schwartz-Lavares, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2024 Washington Polling hours vary in Washington, a state where every voter is mailed their ballot. —

Liam Quinn, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024 Based on its population, each state elects a varying number of people to serve in the House of Representatives. —

Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 5 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for vary

Recent Examples of Synonyms for vary

Verb

This puzzle is from a separate experiment and the design differs from the puzzle used in a PLOS Biology paper published November 14, 2024.

Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 14 Nov. 2024
The wording differed slightly, but the message was essentially the same.

NBC Los Angeles, NBC News, 12 Nov. 2024