as in mixed
to place or do (different things) so that one follows the other in a repeated series
To make the appetizer, you should alternate layers of tomatoes and cheese. The poem alternates fear and hope.
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Recent Examples of alternated
The competition between Morton and Staubach came to a head in 1971 after both started games and even alternated snaps at one point.
—
Jim Barnes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 May 2026
The Canadiens had alternated wins and losses since winning Game 1 of their first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
—Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 11 May 2026
The program alternated between stand-up sets — from comics including John Mulaney, Bill Burr, Leanne Morgan, Ron Funches, Nikki Glaser, Matt Rife and Ali Wong — and bidding on some very exclusive items, all in the name of supporting people with autism and their families.
—Kirsten Chuba, HollywoodReporter, 8 May 2026
This was an interesting series as the two teams alternated wins.
—David Troy Outkick, FOXNews.com, 6 May 2026
In the United States, NBC dominated World Series coverage from 1950 to 1976 and CBS and NBC alternated the first 18 Super Bowl telecasts.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Apr. 2026
Police say two of the officers alternated on performing the abdominal thrusts while two other officers kept the woman upright.
—Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
The pope, who alternated between English, Spanish and Italian when answering questions, also criticized the Iranian regime’s killing of protesters in his first remarks on the topic.
—Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 23 Apr. 2026
Cutesy anecdotes alternated with triumphs and tragedies—a school district rescued from a ransomware gang, an iPad salvaged from a plane crash.
—Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Jim Barnes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 May 2026
The Canadiens had alternated wins and losses since winning Game 1 of their first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
—Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 11 May 2026
The program alternated between stand-up sets — from comics including John Mulaney, Bill Burr, Leanne Morgan, Ron Funches, Nikki Glaser, Matt Rife and Ali Wong — and bidding on some very exclusive items, all in the name of supporting people with autism and their families.
—Kirsten Chuba, HollywoodReporter, 8 May 2026
This was an interesting series as the two teams alternated wins.
—David Troy Outkick, FOXNews.com, 6 May 2026
In the United States, NBC dominated World Series coverage from 1950 to 1976 and CBS and NBC alternated the first 18 Super Bowl telecasts.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Apr. 2026
Police say two of the officers alternated on performing the abdominal thrusts while two other officers kept the woman upright.
—Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
The pope, who alternated between English, Spanish and Italian when answering questions, also criticized the Iranian regime’s killing of protesters in his first remarks on the topic.
—Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 23 Apr. 2026
Cutesy anecdotes alternated with triumphs and tragedies—a school district rescued from a ransomware gang, an iPad salvaged from a plane crash.
—Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for alternated
Verb
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Fennel, cumin, coriander and black pepper perfume sistani, another round flatbread with barley mixed into the wheat flour for a nutty taste and pliant crumb.—
Bill Addison,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2026
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The list was mostly made up for the originals and the three prequels, with a couple Disney TV installments (Andor) mixed in.—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Johannes and Astier combined for 22 points and seven assists on the night.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
9 May 2026
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More than 400,000 square feet of gyms, locker rooms, meeting rooms and community spaces are combined with 17 playing spaces, including two regulation-size indoor fields.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
Verb
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The project and its accompanying two-volume catalogue juxtaposed a wide array of African, Oceanic, and Native American artifacts with artworks from twentieth-century Europe and the US.—
Glenn Adamson,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
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One speaker juxtaposed the chain-link prop that Kutulas had used against a poster-size picture of the lakefront.—
Shun Graves,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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With the outbreak of the Second World War, success on the battlefield was very much determined by who incorporated the lessons of the last war the best.—
Matthew S Williams,
Interesting Engineering,
7 May 2026
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The semiconductor lasers were then incorporated into a system in a university cleanroom, using off-the-shelf electronics to drive the system, Taylor says.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Where stronger rainfall is interspersed with longer dry spells, the land gets drier.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
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There are upwards of 30 galleries in town, interspersed among the quintessential gift boutiques, fudge shops, and lobster shacks.—
Amy Thomas,
Travel + Leisure,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Alternated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alternated. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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