alters

verb

present tense third-person singular of alter
1
as in modifies
to make different in some way can't you alter your plans just slightly so we can leave 10 minutes earlier?

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2
as in fixes
to remove the sex organs of contends that cats and dogs that have been altered make better pets

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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 alters Alcohol alters levels of hormones, including estrogen, a key reason for the link between drinking and breast cancer. — Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026 Every single thing about the Bears defense not only keeps me awake at night, but drastically alters my opinion of this team. — Michael Beller, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026 Yet pressure simultaneously alters a leader’s biology in real time. — Julian Hayes Ii, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026 El Niño’s warm ocean water alters the atmospheric circulation above, diverting storm tracks and changing patterns of floods, droughts and tropical storms around the globe. — Julia Cole, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2026 Sodium dithionite primarily alters the dyes’ chromophores, reducing their visible color without fully breaking the bonds connecting the dyes to cellulose. — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 26 Aug. 2026 As a person moves through the room, their body physically alters the radio waves traveling through it. — New Atlas, 26 Aug. 2026 El Niño changes the weather around the world by adjusting where heat is released into the atmosphere, which alters major wind patterns. — Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 21 Aug. 2026 In June, officials confirmed the formation of an El Niño, the natural warming of parts of the central Pacific that alters weather worldwide, that is expected to grow to historic strength. — ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for alters
  1. modifies
  2. fixes
  3. changes
  4. remodels
  5. transforms
Verb
  • An agent that calls the wrong API or modifies the wrong record creates consequences a hallucinated sentence simply cannot.
    — Hemant Kashyap, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • So the team fed AlphaFold versions of a target DNA sequence, along with a guide RNA, the Cas9 sequence, and an enzyme that chemically modifies bases and can stick to Cas9.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 24 July 2026
Definition of modifies
Verb
  • Free text cannot carry that weight, and asking clinicians to write more of it fixes nothing.
    — JP Montoya, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The algorithm first fixes both cameras on a 3D point and determines the geometric relationship between the resulting images.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of fixes
Verb
  • With each wild transformation in Mona’s character, the film changes stylistically.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2026
  • By studying who farts more, who farts less and how flatulence changes with diet, researchers aim to understand how microbes respond to different foods and why some people can tolerate high-fiber diets comfortably while others struggle with gas.
    — Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of changes
Verb
  • Retinol also remodels and thickens that deeper layer of skin.
    — Sherri Gordon, HEALTH, 31 Aug. 2026
  • More than just structural support For decades, scientists have known that bone provides support, stores minerals and continuously remodels itself.
    — Priya Bhardwaj, The Conversation, 22 June 2026
Definition of remodels
Verb
  • The space also transforms to help travelers get the most out of their trip.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Indonesian botanical preservation artist Bunga Vidanska transforms real orchids, plumeria and other plants into statement jewelry and hair accessories.
    — Leigh-Ann Jackson, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of transforms

Browse Nearby Words

alternatives
alters
although
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Cite this Entry

“Alters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alters. Accessed 8 Sep. 2026.

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