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 Eric Mittenthal, president of the association, said the hot dog variations usually originated from ballparks, like Kauffman Stadium. — Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 10 July 2026 His measurement does not rule it out, but severely narrows its scope, eliminating a large range of its potential variations. — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 10 July 2026 The 35-page document includes variations of branding and logo options, including some featuring a golden eagle. — Rachel Treisman, NPR, 9 July 2026 José San Miguel, a movement instructor and studio manager at FlowCorps Durham, described reformer workouts as a spectrum with Pilates and Lagree as distinct points and many variations in between. — Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 9 July 2026 Meta's business-facing announcement says the model brings native reasoning to the creative process, generating on-brand ad variations with fewer iterations. — Gabriel Alin Zainescu, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026 DyStar said recent operational shifts have led to variations in metrics, particularly for waste intensity, and have highlighted key areas for innovation and improvement. — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 8 July 2026 The study looked at hashtag variations and tagged landmarks, and then ranked routes based on total hashtags to identify the most popular ones. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 7 July 2026 Though the United States is a massive producer of nitrogen fertilizer due to its large natural gas industry, the cost of it is still subject to global market variations. — Chase Hunter, Boston Herald, 6 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for variations
  1. interpretations
  2. changes
  3. takes
  4. differences
  5. versions
  6. alterations
Noun
  • If boarding practices become routine under broad legal interpretations, other countries are likely to adopt similar methods in different contexts.
    — John Calabrese, The Conversation, 6 July 2026
  • The Brooklyn neighborhood where, if Swiftie lyrical interpretations are to be trusted, Swift left a now-infamous scarf at the home of one Maggie Gyllenhaal around 2010.
    — Lily Boyce, New York Times, 2 July 2026
Definition of interpretations
Noun
  • Athletes should slowly build conditioning when faced with changes in climate such as heat and humidity.
    — Nicole Williams, AJC.com, 6 July 2026
  • Under an existing state appropriations restraint, also known as the Gann Limit, lawmakers cannot spend more than an amount determined by a formula that takes annual tax proceeds, changes to the population and cost of living into consideration.
    — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
Definition of changes
Noun
  • Between takes, umbrellas helped shield the cast from the Texas sun.
    — Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026
  • The standalone super-flick starring Milly Alcock as the titular heroine didn't bomb, but its $38 million domestic and $68 million global takes (per Rentrak) fall short of both projections and pricey budgetary estimates.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 28 June 2026
Definition of takes
Noun
  • But that’s not the same as asserting that the physical differences between males and females invariably mean that men will invariably prevail over women in all competitions or that their participation will endanger women.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
  • Local analyses of districts throughout the state, such as Miami-Dade, document who uses vouchers, patterns of movement between public and private schools, and demographic differences.
    — Kendall Deas, The Conversation, 6 July 2026
Definition of differences
Noun
  • In 2021, the company had just the TVS Apache bike in its premium portfolio with four different versions, starting at $1,200.
    — Anu Raghunathan, Forbes.com, 9 July 2026
  • Later versions will increase output to between 300 and 500 kilowatts.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 9 July 2026
Definition of versions
Noun
  • This challenge transcends typical software localization, demanding fundamental alterations to AI's core reasoning and output.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
  • The company, for its part, denied the accusation, noting that the alterations were not racially motivated.
    — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 6 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 12 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 fulcrum

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

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

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

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

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
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All