vary

verb

\ ˈver-ē

varied; varying

Definition of vary

transitive verb

1 : to make a partial change in : make different in some attribute or characteristic

2 : to make differences between items in : diversify

intransitive verb

1 : to exhibit or undergo change the sky was constantly varying

2 : deviate, depart

3 : to take on successive values y varies inversely with x

4 : to exhibit divergence in structural or physiological characters from the typical form

Other Words from vary Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about vary

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Synonyms & Antonyms for vary

Synonyms

contrast, differ

Antonyms

compare, match

Choose the Right Synonym for vary

change, alter, vary, modify mean to make or become different. 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 alter implies a difference in some particular respect without suggesting loss of identity. slightly altered the original design vary stresses a breaking away from sameness, duplication, or exact repetition. vary your daily routine modify suggests a difference that limits, restricts, or adapts to a new purpose. modified the building for use by the disabled

Examples of vary in a Sentence

The terrain varies as you climb higher. The cost of a room at the hotel varies with the season. Their services vary depending on the customer. They've tried to improve their procedures, with varying degrees of success. The diamonds vary in size. Colors vary from light to dark. I try to vary my diet by eating different kinds of foods.

Recent Examples on the Web

The length of the menstrual cycle varies from woman to woman, but the average is to have periods every 28 days. — Kelly Gonsalves, Teen Vogue, "Why Georgia's Six Week Abortion Restriction Is a Total Ban for Many," 15 May 2019 Its accounting methods vary from rival Lyft, but both companies could make things clearer for investors. — Lauren Silva Laughlin, WSJ, "Uber’s Greater Clarity on Costs Not Reassuring," 20 Apr. 2019 What is considered a large amount varies from person to person depending on your tolerance and metabolism. — Sophie Saint Thomas, Allure, "Here’s How Weed Use Can Improve Your Sex Life," 20 Apr. 2019 Sample sizes for each year’s survey vary from about 1,500 to about 3,000 adults, with margins of error falling between plus or minus 2.2 percentage points and plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. — Hannah Fingerhut, The Seattle Times, "Poll: Most see women equal to men in politics," 29 Mar. 2019 Those swings will vary from laptop to laptop based on design. — Gordon Mah Ung, PCWorld, "Why you should or shouldn't buy a GeForce RTX laptop," 6 Mar. 2019 Property taxes vary from state to state, ranging from about 0.55 percent of property value to almost 2.4 percent. — Nancy Mann Jackson, House Beautiful, "How Much Money You'll Really Need To Buy A House," 26 Feb. 2019 It’s also been rumored that the G7 Power model will be available in four models varying from 2GB to 6GB of RAM, and 32GB to 64GB of storage. — Dami Lee, The Verge, "Motorola’s putting a huge battery in a new Moto G7 Power variant," 29 Nov. 2018 So my argument is, let’s raise the minimum wage to the level of the living wage, which varies from place to place depending on housing costs and transportation costs. — Eric Johnson, Recode, "We have to rewrite antitrust law to deal with tech monopolies, says ‘Positive Populism’ author Steve Hilton," 24 Oct. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'vary.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for vary

Middle English varien, borrowed from Anglo-French or Latin; Anglo-French varier, borrowed from Latin variāre "to mark with contrasting colors, give variety to, make changeable," derivative of varius "having contrasting colors, of different kinds, changeable," of uncertain origin

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