alt-rock

noun

ˈȯlt-ˌräk How to pronounce alt-rock (audio)
: alternative rock
… interesting music covering everything from electronica to alt-rock … and acoustic folk …—Tim Hughes
"I grew up listening to whatever my family listened to. Kudos to them for molding my style," he [Ivan Cornejo, musical artist] says. "My brother would listen to alt-rock like Arctic Monkeys, Tame Impala, and my parents listened to Café Tacvba. Very on the alternative side."—Griselda Flores
alt-rocker
ˈȯlt-ˌrä-kər How to pronounce alt-rock (audio)
noun

Examples of alt-rock 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.
The excellent quartet carries a dose of Nineties alt-rock, while Williams’ vocals sink into the potent lyrics and discordant, dreamy instrumentals. — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 13 Aug. 2026 Throughout the hour-and-a-half long set, alt-rock musician YUNGBLUD and former Smashing Pumpkins guitarist Melissa Auf der Maur also joined the band. — Greta Cross, USA Today, 1 Aug. 2026 Those digital Mellotrons balanced against Wilson’s dry 2000s alt-rock production cast Åkerfeldt’s ballads into a searching, uncanny drift at the outskirts of the metal landscape. — Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 19 July 2026 This was the release, after all, in which Cracker turned its back on the alt-rock radio format — to the detriment of initial album sales — and stopped trying to be anything other than itself. — Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 19 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for alt-rock

Word History

Etymology

by shortening

First Known Use

1982, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of alt-rock was in 1982

Rhymes for alt-rock

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Browse Nearby Words

Altrincham
alt-rock
altro-heptulose
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Cite this Entry

“Alt-rock.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alt-rock. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on alt-rock

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about alt-rock

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