Thesaurus results for ALTERNATELY

alternately

adverb

Definition of alternately

as in alternatively

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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 alternately Flitting between deadpan sorrow and impassioned romance, Bridgers’ album is alternately spooky, hilarious, mysterious and sneakily moving. — Chris Willman, Variety, 9 Aug. 2026 Carol is alternately enchanted and frustrated by her husband’s innocence and altruism, which led him to his not particularly remunerative career as an interpreter. — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 July 2026 Throughout the film, Elle and Tao alternately bicker and give each other the silent treatment over Elle’s plans to go to Berlin after graduation to pursue a career as an artist. — Jessica Sager, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026 The trailer finds the film’s protagonists alternately hunting or fleeing the vicious creature — or creatures — through a tattered town known as Hope Harbor, a remote coastal village near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in South Korea. — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 9 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for alternately

Recent Examples of Synonyms for alternately

Adverb

Accessed by some steps between the bathroom and bedroom, it's shown here furnished with a couple of single beds but could alternatively be used to stash belongings or as a kid's room or general hangout space.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 25 Aug. 2026
Might that be because this particular partner would include politicians prone to grandstanding — or, alternatively, focused more on mundane issues such as schools and crime than on horse racing?

— Stephen J. K. Walters, Baltimore Sun, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of alternatively

Adverb

So when Billie and Issa get an actual offer for drinks with two firefighters who come to the house, Billie puts on a goofy British accent à la Issa and turns them down, choosing a quiet night at home with her friend instead.

— Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
On September 6, 1901, a setting intended to showcase the thrill of a new century instead became the scene of a presidential assassination.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of instead

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alternated

alternately

alternates

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“Alternately.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alternately. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of alternately

adverb

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