variations

noun

plural of variation
1
as in interpretations
a distinct treatment of something (as a story or a play) the movie begins with a somewhat irreverent variation on the Nativity story

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in changes
the act, process, or result of making different the latest in a long line of variations in her hair color

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 variations Data center power infrastructure provider Dimaag, for example, presented in April a way to protect the grid from AI’s massive load variations, which can switch from almost nothing to hundreds of megawatts and back again several times per second. — Drew Robb, IEEE Spectrum, 16 July 2026 Five neutral color variations all come in a linen blend, but olive’s grounding tones are speaking most to us. — Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 16 July 2026 Aldermen voted 5-1 on July 13 to move forward with major zoning variations in order to grant approval for the multi-family building, located at 1103-1105 Emerson Street in the city’s 5th Ward. — Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 16 July 2026 The oldest depiction of a dragon-like beast dates back at least 4,000 years, and variations of the mythical creature cross cultures and oceans, appearing in ancient Europe, China, and Mesoamerica. — Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 15 July 2026 There are as many variations on this, as many theories of tonality, as there are notes between the notes, which, technically, are infinite. — Steve Hochman, SPIN, 15 July 2026 Further, real-world situations will inevitably present unexpected variations. — ArsTechnica, 13 July 2026 Breast cancer, lung cancer and blood cancers are not variations of the same disease; each has its own distinct biology and its own mix of genetic, environmental and behavioral risks. — Ziyad Al-Aly, The Conversation, 13 July 2026 A lot of what Mariscos offers is different variations of ceviche. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for variations
  1. interpretations
  2. changes
  3. takes
  4. differences
  5. versions
  6. alterations
Noun
  • The company managed to drastically ramp up its production process and produce all 200 hours of interpretations in a span of two months.
    — Brian Welk, IndieWire, 20 July 2026
  • Unique interpretations on power dressing hit the red carpet at Thursday night’s Time100 Sports Gala at Pier Sixty in New York City.
    — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 17 July 2026
Definition of interpretations
Noun
  • Hiring Epstein as president of baseball operations after the 2011 season led to sweeping changes.
    — Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 19 July 2026
  • In recent years, Morocco has also undertaken deep structural changes that have significantly improved its investment climate.
    — Panorama Media Ltd, Miami Herald, 19 July 2026
Definition of changes
Noun
  • Cocoa High defensive end Elyias Wilson proved to be too quick for the competition Saturday at the Orlando Trench Kings event, a football linemen competition with a winner-takes-all prize of $1,000.
    — Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 July 2026
  • So the pair enlisted legendary singers like Tina Turner and Macy Gray to lay down takes, but Davis was after a different, newer sound.
    — Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 15 July 2026
Definition of takes
Noun
  • For such a small island, the differences between north and south are huge.
    — Forbes.com, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
  • But there are key differences between the survivors, Tuck noted.
    — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
Definition of differences
Noun
  • Other favorites include the Mark Cuban, the Weinberger Reuben, and other Italian-style sub sandwiches that also come in Americanized versions, like Northeastern and Midwest-style sub sandwiches.
    — Fousia Abdullahi, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 July 2026
  • Viewers can see digital versions of the photos on an interactive screen, as the original copy is kept in a display case.
    — Kaitlyn Harvey, AJC.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of versions
Noun
  • The avenue lies within the city’s original historic district, where preservation rules tightly regulate new construction and alterations.
    — Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 22 July 2026
  • Among the major alterations is with the Outstanding British Film category, which now sees the longlist after the first round of voting expanded from 15 films to 20.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 22 July 2026
Definition of alterations

Browse Nearby Words

variation
variations
varicolored
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Variations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/variations. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on variations

Nglish: Translation of variations for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of itinerant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All