change order

noun

plural change orders
: a written alteration to a previously signed contract for work (as in construction)
The Alpharetta City Council has approved a $2.9 million change order for the Rucker Road Corridor improvement project, reflecting Roswell's share of the project cost.—The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
also : the new work specified by the change order
Change orders on the first two phases of Red Line construction have exceeded $230 million. —Mike Davis

Examples of change order in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Using a change order added this cost to the original contract value and extended the project's completion time by 301 calendar days. — Logan Smith, CBS News, 23 Aug. 2026 The arrangement was aimed at minimizing the number and cost of change orders, which are the bane of construction projects. — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026 The company said by reducing reliance on manual data entry and complex custom integrations, Arena Connect keeps critical cross-functional workflows, such as engineering change orders and quality management, automatically synchronized in real time. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 11 Aug. 2026 The council also authorized the city manager to approve change orders of up to 10% of the contract. — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 18 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for change order

Word History

First Known Use

1906, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of change order was in 1906

Rhymes for change order

See All Rhymes for change order

Browse Nearby Words

change one's ways
change order
changeover
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Change order.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/change%20order. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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