alternative rock

noun

: alternative music that blends elements of conventional rock with influences from other musical styles (such as punk rock, hard rock, hip-hop, or folk)

Examples of alternative rock in a Sentence

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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.
The track was much slower and more acoustic-based than many of the pop-punk and alternative rock cuts that had helped bring the group to the mainstream. — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026 After the breakup, Brownson formed the alternative rock trio LK. — Edward Segarra, USA Today, 17 Aug. 2026 The result stretches comfortably across generations and genres, drawing from Sixties folk, Seventies soul, country, and pop, Eighties R&B and electro-boogie, Nineties alternative rock, and early-2000s hip-hop. — Sophie Miller, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2026 The group, whose sound has often been described as melodic hardcore and alternative rock, has released four albums, each to more success and acclaim than the last. — Britt Julious, Chicago Tribune, 26 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for alternative rock

Word History

First Known Use

1975, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of alternative rock was in 1975

Rhymes for alternative rock

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Browse Nearby Words

alternative pop
alternative rock
alternative school
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Cite this Entry

“Alternative rock.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alternative%20rock. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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