altered 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of alterednext
as in sterilized

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

altered

2 of 2

verb

past tense of alter
1
as in modified
to make different in some way can't you alter your plans just slightly so we can leave 10 minutes earlier?

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fixed
to remove the sex organs of contends that cats and dogs that have been altered make better pets

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 altered
Adjective
Current quality checks are efficient at detecting simple genetic changes, such as an altered DNA letter or a small piece of DNA that has been removed or added. — Euan Ashley, STAT, 1 Oct. 2026 In private, Future Nyota explains what’s going on, describing the altered timeline and Scotty’s death. — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026
Verb
Van Orden has altered his rhetoric only slightly in the waning days of the campaign. — Dan Simmons, Washington Post, 26 Oct. 2026 The blaze and water from the sprinklers altered the crime scene and diluted evidence, according to FBI files. — Leigh Egan, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for altered
Recent Examples of Synonyms for altered
  1. neutered
  2. modified
  3. fixed
  4. sterile
  5. changed
  6. impotent
  7. remodeled
  8. emasculated
Adjective
  • All adoptable pets are spayed, neutered and up to date on vaccines and tests.
    — Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2026
  • This reader hopes that will be a rebuttal to all the dubious America 250 content flooding orgs beholden to the neutered NEA.
    — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 16 June 2026
Definition of neutered
Verb
  • The researchers modified a capsid protein called pVIII, attaching cancer antigens to its surface by incorporating the corresponding genetic instructions into the virus.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 31 Oct. 2026
  • The indictment describes another customer being told that their asylum story was too long and too personal and needed to be modified.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of modified
Verb
  • Last week, researchers discovered thousands of shareable Muse links that exposed private chat logs and documents, leading Meta to suspend the feature until it could be fixed.
    — Marty Swant, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Most plans treat it as fixed, assuming more sales capacity, more budget and more headcount will solve the problem.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of fixed
Adjective
  • The government has a longstanding program to breed sterile male flies and drop swarms of them from planes to mate with wild females, causing the flies to die out.
    — Susan Montoya Bryan, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The 46-year-old was ushered into a sterile room for her appointment, her phone lit up with a text.
    — Jesse Bedayn, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of sterile
Verb
  • That changed when Detective Tim Cooper, who watched that episode as a child, had a chance encounter in 2018 in the Sacred Heart Catholic Church parking lot.
    — Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The scale, frequency, quantification, and accessibility of social comparison have all changed.
    — Ashwini Nadkarni, Time, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of changed
Adjective
  • United were alarmingly impotent in a way which, even now, is strange to see and damaging for a head coach’s reputation.
    — Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Republicans want to scare voters into thinking that if Democrats win the midterm elections, the United States will be on the road to a future in which the Senate is no more—or is, at best, an impotent debate club for elderly statesmen.
    — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 22 July 2026
Definition of impotent
Verb
  • La Grande Épicerie’s fish stand was remodeled two years ago, including with mosaics by Parisian artist Mathilde Jonquière, and the rotisserie corner has been relooked more recently.
    — Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Offices have been remodeled for a modern look, part of a plan to upgrade on-campus facilities.
    — PJ Green October 23, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of remodeled
Adjective
  • President Penn and her husband Todd (Whitford) get to throw down now and then, as a husband who already feels emasculated has to sit and watch his wife recede into bitter militance.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 15 Oct. 2026
  • And that’s the main tension this season, as Beau is feeling emasculated by the dynamic.
    — Marlow Stern, Variety, 30 July 2026
Definition of emasculated

Browse Nearby Words

altercations
altered
alter ego
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Altered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/altered. Accessed 2 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of satiate

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

Ten More Words from Taylor Swift Songs

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
couple-laugh-cafe
Quiz: Foreign Phrases You Should Know Check out your bona fides and avoid any faux pas.
See All