alternate
verb (used without object)
to interchange repeatedly and regularly with one another in time or place; rotate (usually followed bywith ).
alternated
-
past participleof alternate.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
-
past tense formof alternate.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
alternateverb (used without object)to interchange repeatedly and regularly with one another in time or place; rotate (usually followed bywith ).
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
With Kessler sidelined, the Lakers have alternated Kevon Looney and Sandro Mamukelashvili at center.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2026
His mother, Mollie Roy, alternated Tylenol and Motrin as pediatricians typically recommend and looked after him as he rested at home.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
During this moment, electronic bonds between neighboring sites alternated between stronger and weaker in a repeating pattern.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 21, 2026
In one experiment, Adrian North and his colleagues at Leicester University alternated the music in a supermarket between French accordion and German oompah tunes.
From BBC ● Jan. 28, 2026
Hoping to interrogate both George Theodorakis and James Shin Hoo, they alternated their dinner orders.
From "The Westing Game" by Ellen Raskin
