alter ego

noun

ˌȯl-tər-ˈē-(ˌ)gō How to pronounce alter ego (audio)
Definition of alter egonext
1
as in friend
a person who has a strong liking for and trust in another over the years the state's other senator became his alter ego as well as his political ally

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in image
something or someone that strongly resembles another the hero of the novel is clearly the author's alter ego, right down to his receding hairline and middle-aged paunch

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example 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 alter ego There are also hundreds of his own charcoal drawings and oil paintings, most of which are of Dolores, his female alter ego. — Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 4 Oct. 2026 The Weeknd brought his After Hours alter ego straight to the 2020 VMAs in a bright red blazer, black shirt and trousers, leather gloves, and black-and-white dress shoes. — Amanda Le, InStyle, 27 Sep. 2026 Well before his alter ego materialized, and well before Hollywood found him, MacLachlan was prone to anxiety and fears of never fitting in. — Rachel Brodsky, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026 Norman Cook’s dancefloor alter ego will visit these parts in March 2027 for seven tour dates across Fremantle, Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne. — Lars Brandle, Billboard, 10 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for alter ego
Recent Examples of Synonyms for alter ego
  1. friend
  2. image
  3. buddy
  4. twin
  5. picture
  6. replica
  7. clone
  8. duplicate
Noun
  • But two years ago, Gyles Brandreth, an author and friend of Christopher's, traveled to New York as an emissary of Queen Camilla hoping to arrange an anniversary stay at Buckingham Palace for the 105-year-old fleecy emigres.
    — STEVE HENDRIX THE WASHINGTON POST, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Lee recruited a friend to help move the box to her bedroom, but the setup itself took less than 10 minutes.
    — Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of friend
Noun
  • The team sought to identify an anomaly first seen in satellite images in 2020.
    — Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The damage and disruption could also affect France’s image as a tourist destination in the long-term.
    — Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of image
Noun
  • Here for work the next couple of days and possibly have Wednesday and Thursday night open if my buddy can’t make it into town for work as might have to be in Alabama instead.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Louis-Dreyfus plays Polly Wyeth, a staunch California Republican in the mold of her buddy Nancy Reagan.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of buddy
Noun
  • The twins pleaded not guilty and have denied the allegations through their attorneys.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The twins, Dallas, a girl, and Tyson, a boy, were 18 months old.
    — Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of twin
Noun
  • In my tests, with the lower-brightness Cinema mode, the UHZ36 was easily bright enough to deliver a suitably bright picture for both SDR and HDR material on my 90-inch screen in a dark room.
    — M. David Stone, PC Magazine, 18 Oct. 2026
  • That ended Notre Dame's 16-game winning streak and is one of several outcomes that are going to shake up the rankings and CFP picture in a big, big way.
    — Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of picture
Noun
  • The Southern Alps are an almost exact replica of the Himalayas in terms of their lot formations and crevasse fields, according to Hiddleston.
    — Tamara Southward, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The trio also talked about building a replica of the Young statue, which would be placed in the Renaissance Center once it is revamped.
    — Carol Cain, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of replica
Noun
  • Like Avril Lavigne and Jim Carrey, Selena Gomez has received her fair share of celebrity-clone-replacement allegations from online conspiracy theorists.
    — Isabella Albaig, Vulture, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Since its earliest days, the video game industry has been built on developers creating clones of competing games, with varying levels of originality and varying levels of enforcement from game platforms.
    — Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of clone
Noun
  • The Election Commission and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration deny the allegations and say the revision is intended to remove duplicate and ineligible entries.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The waiver gives the studio permission to create a duplicate of an actor in costume, which aids in VFX work during postproduction.
    — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of duplicate

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altered
alter ego
alter egos
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Cite this Entry

“Alter ego.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alter%20ego. Accessed 23 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on alter ego

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