alternates 1 of 2

present tense third-person singular of alternate
as in mixes
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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alternates

2 of 2

noun

plural of alternate

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 alternates
Verb
Under the current agreement, Maceo splits his time between both parents during the week and alternates weekends with exceptions for certain holidays. — Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026 Gathering 5,700 members from more than 50 countries across Europe, the European Film Academy oversees the annual European Film Awards, which alternates taking place in its home city of Berlin and another European city, which is Athens this year. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2026 The sins of the father are ultimately presented in a literal, stomach-churning slideshow that haphazardly alternates benign family snaps with gleeful photographic evidence of Johan’s war crimes. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 19 Sep. 2026 As the train emerges from the tunnel, pitch darkness alternates with sudden bursts of sunlight through openings in the bedrock. — Ben Corn, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Sep. 2026 The drink-swap strategy, which alternates alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, is being fueled by declining alcohol consumption in younger generations. — Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 24 Aug. 2026 To achieve this, the locus coeruleus continuously alternates between tonic activity—governing baseline arousal and alertness—and brief phasic bursts that focus attention on critical events. — Julian Hayes Ii, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026 Kate Middleton is rumored to wear the brand’s Orange Blossom Cologne, while Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, reportedly alternates between the scents Wood Sage and Sea Salt and Wild Bluebell. — Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 3 Aug. 2026 The Panthers have more than enough leadership to go around in their dressing room beyond captain Aleksander Barkov and alternates Matthew Tkachuk and Aaron Ekblad. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 24 June 2026
Noun
Honorees who advanced to the Super Bowl were replaced by alternates (Trubisky was Jared Goff’s alternate in 2018-19) and the exhibition no longer was held in Aloha Stadium each year. — Tim Graham, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for alternates
Verb
  • When that cold air from the north mixes in with the steady stream of moisture from the south, interesting weather can unfold.
    — Matthew Villafane, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Next, there are two professional-grade recording studios just behind the stage, built to capture performances with Spatial Audio mixes.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 27 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Fuelled in part by the overprescription of painkillers like OxyContin in the 1990s, the market for unregulated substitutes exploded into what became regarded as an epidemic by the turn of the millennium.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Cristiano Ronaldo had to be content with a place on the substitutes bench in a 2-1 away win for Portugal over Norway.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The film juxtaposes audio of Israeli soldiers’ testimony with shots of the Tel Aviv cityscape at night.
    — Drew Paul, The Conversation, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The intro sequence juxtaposes Paula’s frenzied prep for the party with her prep for a potential attack from anyone associated with Trevor’s murder.
    — Erin Qualey, Vulture, 17 June 2026
Noun
  • That translates to significant savings in satellite servicing, eliminating the need to develop and launch replacements.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Earlier this week, Rolling Stone listed Laboriel among its top picks for possible replacements, noting his ferocious skills, friendship with Vedder, and his guest feature on the frontman’s 2022 solo LP, Earthling.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 26 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Her special talent was to make historic gardening techniques and designs accessible for the average gardener, championing the potager—which combines flowers with useful, edible plants—and creating gardens for Elton John and the then Prince of Wales.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The technology combines structured information from the patient’s intake with analysis of facial images.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • In Korea, Netflix leads the way with domestic streamer TVING a clear second, while Indonesia’s Vidio, which has been profitable since the fourth quarter of last year, leading that market with six million paying subs.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2026
  • The firm projects the market will reach a floor of some 53 million subs in 2030, with traditional operators accounting for 27 million video customers—just slightly more than the 26 million subs the vMVPDs are expected to reach in four years’ time.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 23 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • It is designed to run on 100 percent renewable electricity and incorporates advanced manufacturing technology and digital solutions, according to the company.
    — Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The contract incorporates artificial intelligence protections from the IATSE-AMPTP Basic Agreement.
    — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 30 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Alternates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alternates. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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