as in options
the power, right, or opportunity to choose
there's no alternative: we must cross the stream to reach our destination
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of alternatives
Wright lambasted wind and solar power, which can be added to the grid relatively quickly, saying the renewable alternatives fail to add anything meaningful to the total capacity of the electricity grid.
—
Callie Patteson, The Washington Examiner, 6 Feb. 2026
The Salomon Para-Team’s feedback was instrumental in helping to conceive designs — opening up opportunities for amputees and enable new possibilities for movement and competition, as well as offer alternatives of specific gears at more competitive price points.
—Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 6 Feb. 2026
The company’s push from coding into other professional domains, such as knowledge work and customer support, is increasing competitive pressure on incumbent software providers, which now risk facing Anthropic’s models as cheaper, more capable alternatives in parts of their workflows.
—Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 6 Feb. 2026
There are medically sound needle-free alternatives, like Gold Bond’s Plumping Collagen Body and Face Serum Lotion that is just $12.
—Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 6 Feb. 2026
Big ideas become talking points, then bills, then votes — often before communities can model the impacts or propose smarter alternatives.
—Sean Parks, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Feb. 2026
Researchers at Germany’s Saarland University and Austria’s University of Salzburg have teamed up to develop more environmentally friendly battery alternatives, as conventional lithium-ion batteries rely on materials such as nickel and cobalt.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 5 Feb. 2026
Some are strong sellers that are being made available at sizeable discounts, while others are older medications, have inexpensive generic alternatives or are being offered at prices that are probably comparable to what drugmakers receive from insurers.
—Tami Luhby, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026
Instead of the above, Rutter recommends using these safe alternatives when cleaning bird feeders to protect birds in your community.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 5 Feb. 2026
Callie Patteson, The Washington Examiner, 6 Feb. 2026
The Salomon Para-Team’s feedback was instrumental in helping to conceive designs — opening up opportunities for amputees and enable new possibilities for movement and competition, as well as offer alternatives of specific gears at more competitive price points.
—Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 6 Feb. 2026
The company’s push from coding into other professional domains, such as knowledge work and customer support, is increasing competitive pressure on incumbent software providers, which now risk facing Anthropic’s models as cheaper, more capable alternatives in parts of their workflows.
—Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 6 Feb. 2026
There are medically sound needle-free alternatives, like Gold Bond’s Plumping Collagen Body and Face Serum Lotion that is just $12.
—Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 6 Feb. 2026
Big ideas become talking points, then bills, then votes — often before communities can model the impacts or propose smarter alternatives.
—Sean Parks, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Feb. 2026
Researchers at Germany’s Saarland University and Austria’s University of Salzburg have teamed up to develop more environmentally friendly battery alternatives, as conventional lithium-ion batteries rely on materials such as nickel and cobalt.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 5 Feb. 2026
Some are strong sellers that are being made available at sizeable discounts, while others are older medications, have inexpensive generic alternatives or are being offered at prices that are probably comparable to what drugmakers receive from insurers.
—Tami Luhby, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026
Instead of the above, Rutter recommends using these safe alternatives when cleaning bird feeders to protect birds in your community.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 5 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for alternatives
Noun
-
Alarms for doors and windows, smart locks or wearables that detect movement are other options that boost safety and can connect to the caregiver's smartphones.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
12 Feb. 2026
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Over half were additives typically added to ultraprocessed foods; the rest were more natural options, such as the use of lemon juice as a preservative or beet juice for color.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The success Darnold found led to choices in free agency, every player’s dream.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
11 Feb. 2026
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Esteemed Venus is strolling into your 2nd House of Satisfaction, supporting thoughtful choices that align with your independent values and strengthen confidence through stewardship.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Alternatives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alternatives. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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