alternate
verb (used without object)
to interchange repeatedly and regularly with one another in time or place; rotate (usually followed bywith ).
has alternated
-
present perfectof alternate (3rd person singular).present perfect
Used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into or have direct relevance to the present.
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.
The economy has alternated between adding workers and shedding them for 11 months in a row.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 3, 2026
In recent years, he has alternated his activities, writing for and performing with that group and composing for ensembles that he conducts, such as the one on this release.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2025
That promise has hung over the American president's efforts to resolve the conflict, as he has alternated between frustration with the Ukrainians and the Russians since returning to the White House in January.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2025
Brown has alternated with rookie Olu Oluwatimi throughout the first seven practices of camp.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 3, 2023
The mass of Shan-tung thus forms a mountainous island rising out of the vast alluvium of the Hwang-Ho, whose discharge into the sea has alternated between the north and the south of that mountainous tract.
From The Travels of Marco Polo — Volume 2 by Henry Yule
