Odd numbers alternate with even ones.
Source: tatoeba (20644)
Alternate
/ɔlʈə(r).neʈ/
Synonyms for "alternate" (350 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (70)
Verb(3 words)
advocateagentalter egoalternatingalternativeamicus curiaeanalogyattorneyback and fillback and forthback-and-forthbackupbackup manbandybattledore and shuttlecockbe here againbe quits withbeatingblow hot and coldchampion
Show 31 more words
changechangelingcirclecirclingcome againcome and gocome aroundcome roundcome round againcome up againcommutecomparisoncompensatecomplementarycooperatecopycorrespondingcounterchangecounterfeitcovercyclecycliccyclicaldelegatedeputyditherdo a hitchdo a stintdo a tourdo timedouble
Noun(13 words)
altalternatesalternatingalternativeap physics variantsback upbackupchanges in ratecheckerboardscircular turning motioncyclecycle baseddeputy
Adjective(3 words)
Strong matches (105)
dummyebb and flowenlistepochalequalequivalentequivocateersatzevenevery otherexchangeexchangeableexecutive officerexponentextensionfakefigureheadfill infill in forfill-in
Show 49 more words
flounderfluctuateget back atget even withghostghostwritergive and takego through phaseshave a gohave tenurehesitatehitch and hikehold officeimitationin rotationinterchangeinterchangeableintermitintermittentisochronalisochronouskeep a watchlieutenantlocumlocum tenenslogrollmakeshiftmeasuredmetaphormetonymymetronomicmocknext best thingopen classroom schooloscillateoscillatoryotherparanymphpass and repasspay backpendulateperiodicperiodicalpermutepersonnelphonypinchpinch hitterpleader
Noun(19 words)
exchangesflipfrench autrehoppinghopscotchinterchangesinterleaveinterleavesinterleavingjugglingoptionoscillateotherother dialectother earthsother subjectpage interleavepashtupendulum swings
Adjective(3 words)
fastest rotatingfluctuating outputgrammatical variant
Verb(13 words)
Adverb(1 words)
Related words (175)
Verb(18 words)
procuratorprovisionalproxypublic schoolpulsatepulsepulsingre-upreappearreciprocalreciprocatereciprocativerecurrecurrentrecurringreenlistreliefrelievereoccurrepeat
Show 108 more words
replacementreplacingrepresentativerequitereservereservesrespondretaliatereturnreturn the complimentrevolverhythmicrhythmicalride and tiering the changesringerroll aroundrotaryrotaterotatingseasonalsecondsecond in commandsecond stringsecondaryseesawserialserve timeshiftshilly shallyshilly-shallyshuffleshuttleshuttlecocksignsign upsine wavesparesparesspecial schoolspellspell offstaggerstand instand-insteadystopgapsubsubstituentsubstitutesubstitutionsuccedaneumsucceedsuccessivesummer schoolsupersedersupplantersurrogateswapswayswingswitchsymbolsynecdochetake turnsteeterteeter totterteeter-tottertemporarytentativetergiversatethird stringtime offto-and-frotokentottertradetransposeturnunderstudyundulantundulateundulatoryup-and-downutilityutility manutility playervacillatevariantvaryvicarvicar generalvicariousvicevice presidentvice-presidentvice-regentvicegerentwavelikewaverwax and wanewheelwheel aroundwheelingwibble-wabblewigwagwobblezigzag
Noun(26 words)
reading station rotationreplacementrotaterotatingrotating mechanismseesawingshiftsstand-instandbysubstitutesubstitutingsubstitutionssurrogateswapswappingswitchswitchingswoptandeariltoggle
Show 6 more words
Adjective(2 words)
rotating machinerysubstitute
Pronoun(1 words)
thou wast variant
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: interchange, advocate, agent, alt, alter ego.
- Sentence evidence is available for alternate, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wiktionary, wordnet, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "alternate".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "alternate"
Keep "alternate" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "alternate" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "alternate", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "alternate" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
26 entriesShowing 16 of 26 words.
More specific
15 entriesCollocations
13 entriesalternate candidatealternate dayalternate daysalternate endingalternate juroralternate methodalternate planalternate routealternate schedulealternate sidesalternate spellingsalternate turnsalternate weeks
Inflections
5 entriesDerivations
7 entriesAntonyms
1 entriessimilar
3 entriesTranslations
19 translations across 12 languages.
Bulgarian
1 entries- редуващ се adj (being or succeeding by turns)
Czech
1 entries- střídavý adj (being or succeeding by turns)
Estonian
1 entries- vahelduv adj (being or succeeding by turns)
Finnish
1 entries- vuorotteleva adj (being or succeeding by turns)
German
4 entries- Wechsel- adj (being or succeeding by turns)
- abwechselnd adj (being or succeeding by turns)
- alternierend adj (being or succeeding by turns)
- wechselnd adj (being or succeeding by turns)
Italian
2 entries- alternato adj (being or succeeding by turns)
- alterno adj (being or succeeding by turns)
Latin
1 entries- alternus adj (being or succeeding by turns)
Polish
1 entries- alternować adj (being or succeeding by turns)
Portuguese
2 entries- alternado adj (being or succeeding by turns)
- alternante adj (being or succeeding by turns)
Spanish
1 entries- alterno adj (being or succeeding by turns)
Swedish
3 entries- alternerande adj (being or succeeding by turns)
- omväxlande adj (being or succeeding by turns)
- växlande adj (being or succeeding by turns)
Welsh
1 entries- bob yn ail adj (being or succeeding by turns)
Sample sentences
24 total sentences available.
Write on alternate lines.
Source: tatoeba (27797)
There are pictures on alternate pages of the book.
Source: tatoeba (43937)
There are maps on alternate pages of the book.
Source: tatoeba (43956)
Showing 4 of 24 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "alternate"?
Closest matches include interchange, advocate, agent, alt, alter ego.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "alternate"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.