alternating
adjective
al·ter·nat·ing
ˈȯl-tər-ˌnā-tiŋ 
also ˈal-
: occurring by turns or in succession
a fabric with alternating red and blue stripes
… they lacked experience with volcanoes such as St. Helens, a composite of alternating layers of ash and lava.—
Rowe Findley
Rowe Findley
alternatingly
adverb
Alternatingly, place small mounds of the fennel and cabbage on each plate …
—Owen Dugan
Owen Dugan
Examples of alternating in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Our bodies are designed to perform these activities in a balanced, alternating and reciprocal pattern.
—Dana Santas, CNN, 6 Dec. 2022
Walking is an alternating and reciprocal pattern, which simply means that while one side of the body is doing one thing, the other is doing the opposite to create a complete movement.
—Dana Santas, CNN, 14 Sep. 2022
In the past, shipping electricity many hundreds of miles over conventional alternating-current lines wasn’t economical because of power losses that mounted rapidly the longer the distance.
—Phred Dvorak, WSJ, 7 Mar. 2022
The case and bracelet on both models have are stain-brushed and polished in an alternating fashion right down to the folding clasp.
—Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 26 Jan. 2022
See All Example Sentences for alternating
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Dana Santas, CNN, 6 Dec. 2022
Walking is an alternating and reciprocal pattern, which simply means that while one side of the body is doing one thing, the other is doing the opposite to create a complete movement.
—Dana Santas, CNN, 14 Sep. 2022
In the past, shipping electricity many hundreds of miles over conventional alternating-current lines wasn’t economical because of power losses that mounted rapidly the longer the distance.
—Phred Dvorak, WSJ, 7 Mar. 2022
The case and bracelet on both models have are stain-brushed and polished in an alternating fashion right down to the folding clasp.
—Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 26 Jan. 2022
See All Example Sentences for alternating
Cite this Entry
“Alternating.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alternating. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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