Thesaurus results for ALTERNATIVELY

alternatively

adverb

Definition of alternatively next

as in alternately

in place of another option We could go out for dinner or, alternatively, we could get takeout.

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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 alternatively Manic episodes are described as prolonged periods of mood instability, in which a person can experience extreme increases in energy or euphoria, or alternatively, feel depressed or unusually irritable. —

Edward Segarra, USA Today, 24 Feb. 2026 However, Maya turns the tables and alternatively kills Dollface. —

Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 9 Feb. 2026 Companies of this nature can leverage their cash to drive further revenue growth or, alternatively, return funds to their shareholders via dividends or share buybacks. —

Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026 Things like inflation, central bank interest rate changes, and currency fluctuations all affect whether people see Bitcoin as a risky asset to buy when the economy is good or, alternatively, a safe haven when things are unstable. —

K.h. Koehler, jsonline.com, 29 Jan. 2026 Attendees from the Peninsula and San Francisco can alternatively take Caltrain to the Diridon Station, then transfer to the VTA’s Green Line N in the direction of the convention center. —

Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 29 Jan. 2026 And Anna Sargent proves a wonderfully unguarded and able performer, proving alternatively funny and deeply sensitive. —

Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 28 Jan. 2026 Hsu and Staton rejected that argument, pointing to media coverage that showed both sides alternatively framing the initiative as a way for Democrats to take control of the House, or for Republicans to maintain their slim congressional majority. —

Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 15 Jan. 2026 Doing so — or, alternatively, proving that the equations never blow up — would come with a $1 million reward. —

Quanta Magazine, 9 Jan. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for alternatively

alternately

Adverb

As the whole business dragged on, the atmosphere started to seem less like a game show and more like the late-night Jerry Lewis telethons of the 1970s, in which a tired but pumped Lewis alternately griped at the audience, broke into maudlin emotion, or jumped up to welcome a new guest.

— Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 25 Feb. 2026
Sybil lives alone and spends her days fountain-penning personal letters and occasional emails that tell the story of her loves, losses, sorrows and deep regrets, through her alternately curmudgeonly and generous-hearted persona.

— Patricia Steckler, Baltimore Sun, 21 Feb. 2026