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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Recent Examples of alternatives
The wine industry has been struggling for the past few years and many are leaning into providing alternatives to get more people into their tasting rooms.
—
Carmela Karcher, CBS News, 10 Jan. 2026
Driving is the easiest way to get there, but if that’s not an option, there are alternatives.
—Caroline Eubanks, Travel + Leisure, 9 Jan. 2026
Leather, which is known for its large carbon footprint — with Gucci exploring more sustainable ways of producing animal leather, as well as vegan alternatives.
—Emily Chan, Vogue, 9 Jan. 2026
Researchers are looking for alternatives to replace lithium-ion batteries.
—Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 9 Jan. 2026
When boards pre-commit to a preferred outcome and then retrofit justifications for rejecting alternatives, the problem is not strategic disagreement.
—Mark Desjardine, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2026
There were reasons to think about alternatives, particularly financial reasons.
—Emily Brindley, Dallas Morning News, 8 Jan. 2026
Republican leadership faces mounting pressure to address internal divisions, clarify the GOP's platform and offer policy alternatives for key issues like health care, the cost of living and economic insecurity.
—Deputy News Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
As routines shift and people look for more flexible ways to stay active, smart home gyms have stepped in—not just as convenient alternatives, but as serious tools built around personalization, data, and intelligent design.
—Jason Phillips, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
Carmela Karcher, CBS News, 10 Jan. 2026
Driving is the easiest way to get there, but if that’s not an option, there are alternatives.
—Caroline Eubanks, Travel + Leisure, 9 Jan. 2026
Leather, which is known for its large carbon footprint — with Gucci exploring more sustainable ways of producing animal leather, as well as vegan alternatives.
—Emily Chan, Vogue, 9 Jan. 2026
Researchers are looking for alternatives to replace lithium-ion batteries.
—Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 9 Jan. 2026
When boards pre-commit to a preferred outcome and then retrofit justifications for rejecting alternatives, the problem is not strategic disagreement.
—Mark Desjardine, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2026
There were reasons to think about alternatives, particularly financial reasons.
—Emily Brindley, Dallas Morning News, 8 Jan. 2026
Republican leadership faces mounting pressure to address internal divisions, clarify the GOP's platform and offer policy alternatives for key issues like health care, the cost of living and economic insecurity.
—Deputy News Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
As routines shift and people look for more flexible ways to stay active, smart home gyms have stepped in—not just as convenient alternatives, but as serious tools built around personalization, data, and intelligent design.
—Jason Phillips, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for alternatives
Noun
-
Build redundancy with multiple circuits and consider newer connectivity options such as Starlink and 5G where appropriate.—
David Chou,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Pittsburgh Regional Transit is in the process of implementing new seating options at some of its smaller bus stops throughout the region.—
Mike Darnay,
CBS News,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
More intricate and intentional with his choices, Adebayo color-matches to the occasion, stepping out in a monochrome look wearing Japanese label Seveskig in a distressed, striped long-sleeve polo, B1 Archival khakis, and Air Jordan SEs.—
Tiana Randall,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
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Decades of policy choices, rising costs and stagnant wages have eroded the path that once led from work to security.—
Fred P. Hochberg,
Boston Herald,
21 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Alternatives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alternatives. Accessed 24 Jan. 2026.
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