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 Rise of Secondary Markets As organizations navigated ongoing economic volatility throughout the year, Corporate Traveler observed a noticeable shift in the emergence of secondary markets as cost-effective alternatives to major city centers.
—
Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
There has been a gradual decline in popularity of pricier, wooden furniture over years as manufacturers found cheaper alternatives to make tables, dressers, bed frames, desks, and more.
—Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 23 Jan. 2026
Other alternatives listed on the TSA website include DHS trusted traveler cards, permanent resident card, border crossing card, a foreign government issued passport and others.
—Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 23 Jan. 2026
But for local governments, those projects can be relatively quick, effective and, crucially, inexpensive alternatives to large-scale transit investments.
—Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 23 Jan. 2026
Labeling containers as recyclable encourages the public to consume unlimited quantities of products without considering alternatives or consequences.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
Replacing virgin materials with recycled alternatives can reduce that footprint.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 22 Jan. 2026
But borrowers don’t stop needing credit; they just get pushed into far worse alternatives.
—Veronique De Rugy, Oc Register, 22 Jan. 2026
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
Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
There has been a gradual decline in popularity of pricier, wooden furniture over years as manufacturers found cheaper alternatives to make tables, dressers, bed frames, desks, and more.
—Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 23 Jan. 2026
Other alternatives listed on the TSA website include DHS trusted traveler cards, permanent resident card, border crossing card, a foreign government issued passport and others.
—Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 23 Jan. 2026
But for local governments, those projects can be relatively quick, effective and, crucially, inexpensive alternatives to large-scale transit investments.
—Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 23 Jan. 2026
Labeling containers as recyclable encourages the public to consume unlimited quantities of products without considering alternatives or consequences.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
Replacing virgin materials with recycled alternatives can reduce that footprint.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 22 Jan. 2026
But borrowers don’t stop needing credit; they just get pushed into far worse alternatives.
—Veronique De Rugy, Oc Register, 22 Jan. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for alternatives
Noun
-
That’s it; those options represent the full suite of possibilities that are consistent with dark matter.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Flexible hours or remote work options might be worth more than a modest salary increase.—
Kwame Christian Esq,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Nonhormonal choices such as copper IUDs and diaphragms can be invasive and bring undesirable side effects of their own.—
Ana Castelain,
Bloomberg,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Color design is increasingly moving from trend-chasing choices to intentional restraint.—
R. Daniel Foster,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Alternatives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alternatives. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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