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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Recent Examples of alternates
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 31 Oct. 2025
According to the researchers, the technology alternates silver ions and trithioisocyanuric acid (TCA) layers on an electrode substrate.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2025
As much as the action, which is tightly cut and usually alternates confidently between characters frantically on-the-move and other characters huddled in claustrophobic spaces, the storylines are held together by the performances.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2025
The home team then alternates on the last three potential duels.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
The project alternates between details of everyday life—imbued with a surreal, universal quality—and delicate, melancholic landscapes alongside portraits of figures suspended in time, inhabiting their own oneiric world.
—Caterina De Biasio, Vogue, 24 Sep. 2025
From there, Denver alternates between home and away for the first week.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 21 Aug. 2025
The Tall Ships Challenge, hosted by Tall Ships America, alternates its annual tours between the Great Lakes and the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of North America.
—Natalie Davies, Freep.com, 9 Aug. 2025
Noun
Another mistake is planting hostas in heavy, clay soil that alternates between soggy and rock hard.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 31 Oct. 2025
According to the researchers, the technology alternates silver ions and trithioisocyanuric acid (TCA) layers on an electrode substrate.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2025
As much as the action, which is tightly cut and usually alternates confidently between characters frantically on-the-move and other characters huddled in claustrophobic spaces, the storylines are held together by the performances.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2025
The home team then alternates on the last three potential duels.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
The project alternates between details of everyday life—imbued with a surreal, universal quality—and delicate, melancholic landscapes alongside portraits of figures suspended in time, inhabiting their own oneiric world.
—Caterina De Biasio, Vogue, 24 Sep. 2025
From there, Denver alternates between home and away for the first week.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 21 Aug. 2025
The Tall Ships Challenge, hosted by Tall Ships America, alternates its annual tours between the Great Lakes and the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of North America.
—Natalie Davies, Freep.com, 9 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for alternates
Verb
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The show mixes music, magic, and real tween emotions, showing how Vee builds friendships and finds her voice while keeping her vampire identity a secret.—
Allison McClain Merrill,
Parents,
27 Oct. 2025
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It’s filled with global flavors and spice mixes for a variety of different meals, including barbecue rubs, Mediterranean blends, Italian blends, steak rubs, and more.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
26 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Are you destined to live a life filled solely with tofu steaks, tempeh cubes, and frozen meat substitutes?—
Ana Morales,
Vogue,
27 Oct. 2025
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When the cost of imports rise, American firms and consumers might switch to cheaper, domestically-available substitutes.—
Matt Fleming,
Oc Register,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Advertisement Much like Anderson does, Aster also juxtaposes the ineptitude of his white protagonist with an adept person of color.—
Robert Daniels,
Time,
10 Oct. 2025
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The clip juxtaposes plenty of action and comedy as Gibbs, Franks, and company bust heads out in the field and back in the office.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Oct. 2025
Noun
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As teams are much faster to pull the trigger on an underperforming hire, some will struggle to find competent replacements, and few will find definitive improvement.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
29 Oct. 2025
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Beyond pipe replacements, some residents on the east side have been waiting for the city to add sidewalks and underground gutters as many communities still have a ditch gutter system to manage the water, which can be problematic for nearby homes due to flooding risk.—
Taylor O'Connor,
Kansas City Star,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Peychaud’s Bitters, all cherry and anise as opposed to Angostura Bitters’ cinnamon and clove, combines with the herbal pop of absinthe and the spicy backbone of the rye to create something wholly new.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
25 Oct. 2025
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The song combines love at first sight, drugs, and death.—
Josh Crutchmer,
Rolling Stone,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
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All three subs come with Monterrey Cheddar cheese, spinach, red onions, mayo and Subway's new stuffing and cranberry sauce.—
Gabe Hauari,
USA Today,
3 Nov. 2025
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Your theory is interesting but IMO far too confident in your assertion and provide only correlational evidence/data that the 5 subs rule is leading to more injuries when there are more plausible explanations.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The interior also incorporates great tech.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
2 Nov. 2025
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Throughout the home, the couple incorporates a variety of pieces either sourced or created by hand themselves.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Alternates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alternates. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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