Synonyms of alter

alter

verb

ˈȯl-tər 

1

as in to modify

to make different in some way

can't you alter your plans just slightly so we can leave 10 minutes earlier?

Synonyms & Similar Words

• modify
• change
• remodel
• transform
• rework
• revise
• recast
• remake
• refashion
• vary
• redo
• revamp
• deform
• make over
• mutate
• metamorphose
• revolutionize
• transmute
• transfigure
• exchange
• convert
• regenerate
• retool
• commute
• rejigger

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• set
• fix
• stabilize
• freeze

2

as in to fix

to remove the sex organs of

contends that cats and dogs that have been altered make better pets

Synonyms & Similar Words

• fix
• neuter
• sterilize
• emasculate
• desex
• castrate
• geld
• spay

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of alter are change, modify, and vary. While all these words mean "to make or become different," 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 alter?

In some situations, the words change and alter are roughly equivalent. However, 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

In what contexts can modify take the place of alter?

The synonyms modify and alter 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

When might vary be a better fit than alter?

Although the words vary and alter have much in common, vary stresses a breaking away from sameness, duplication, or exact repetition.

vary your daily routine

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of alter

But in a season-altering gut punch, an umpire review found that Volpe’s clutch, two-out blast against reliever Griffin Jax had some help. — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026

Some of Phini’s past projects include separating a wedding dress into a top and skirt, turning a pair of jeans into a bag, and dyeing or altering family heirlooms. — Bella Webb, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2026

They're taken from either healthy donors or the patients, and then grown, altered, or engineered, to be delivered back into the patient's body. — Max Darrow, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026

Bob is shorter in stature, and in a general-admission crowd, one tall person in the wrong place can alter his entire view. — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 7 Oct. 2026

Phrases Containing alter

• alter ego