as in mixing
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 alternating
Rafael Guerrero, chicagotribune.com, 3 Nov. 2020
In Montgomery, churches could have alternating rows of pews roped off and pillows placed in the others, asking only family members to sit together.
—Dennis Pillion | Dpillion@al.com, al, 19 Apr. 2020
To rein in these non-traditional energy sources, researchers typically rely on rectifiers, or devices designed to convert the alternating current of electromagnetic waves—which oscillate in every which direction—into a direct current.
—Courtney Linder, Popular Mechanics, 2 Apr. 2020
The novel presents the alternating viewpoints of Alice and Eleanor in first person, as well as several chapters following John Billington’s point of view (which is disconcertingly rendered in third person).
—Emily Gray Tedrowe, USA TODAY, 16 Mar. 2020
See All Example Sentences for alternating
Verb
District 203 Superintendent Dan Bridges said early childhood students in full-day preschool will begin returning to their schools on an alternating-day basis beginning Thursday.
—Rafael Guerrero, chicagotribune.com, 3 Nov. 2020
In Montgomery, churches could have alternating rows of pews roped off and pillows placed in the others, asking only family members to sit together.
—Dennis Pillion | Dpillion@al.com, al, 19 Apr. 2020
To rein in these non-traditional energy sources, researchers typically rely on rectifiers, or devices designed to convert the alternating current of electromagnetic waves—which oscillate in every which direction—into a direct current.
—Courtney Linder, Popular Mechanics, 2 Apr. 2020
The novel presents the alternating viewpoints of Alice and Eleanor in first person, as well as several chapters following John Billington’s point of view (which is disconcertingly rendered in third person).
—Emily Gray Tedrowe, USA TODAY, 16 Mar. 2020
See All Example Sentences for alternating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for alternating
Adjective
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Olympic alternate Tiana Sumanasekera delivered another strong beam routine on her signature event, hitting her triple series for a 13.800.—
Caroline Price,
Forbes.com,
9 Aug. 2025
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In an alternate universe, the leading roles of Rose and Jack in 1997's Titanic might not have been Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio.—
Diana Pearl,
People.com,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Keep reading for more of my favorite fall finds from Amazon’s hidden Outlet, including table runners in seasonal colors, festive flameless candles, and more.—
Melanie Fincher,
Southern Living,
15 Aug. 2025
-
New Yorker subscribers enjoy access to our full seasonal cultural previews directly in their inbox.—
Shauna Lyon,
New Yorker,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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There has been less research into the link between the stomach’s inherent rhythmic activity and mental well-being.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
17 Aug. 2025
-
Kind of like the Olympics’ team rhythmic gymnastics but with better throwing and balancing stunts.—
Bay Area News Group,
Mercury News,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Brown devoted Wednesdays to mobility and conditioning after years of just incorporating it into his daily workouts.—
Chandler Rome,
New York Times,
10 Apr. 2025
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The musical’s score stood out for its non-white cast and incorporating hip-hop, R&B and soul elements to the soundscape.—
Amy Contreras,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The telemetry log employs a cyclic buffer design, automatically overwriting older entries when the log reaches full capacity.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
30 June 2025
-
Big Bounce: The Universe collapses and then expands again, potentially in a cyclic process.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2025
Adjective
-
One of the world's most prolific serial killers, Bundy confessed to murdering at least 30 women and young girls between 1974 and 1978, and investigators suspect that there may be many more victims, as the extent of his crimes (which also included rape and kidnapping) isn't fully known.—
Jessica Sager,
People.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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They get thrown into this lurid serial killer manhunt of an elusive murderer who collects body parts and uses leeches for insane reasons.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Heat and humidity was expected to stick around with periodic showers moving through the area.—
Deanese Williams-Harris,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Aug. 2025
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Those resources also power the factories that crank out defensive units that automatically fight to protect your castle from periodic waves of enemies (in adorable pixelated animations that take place on a battlefield to the right of your castle).—
Kyle Orland,
ArsTechnica,
1 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Alternating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alternating. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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