altering

verb

present participle of alter
1
as in modifying
to make different in some way can't you alter your plans just slightly so we can leave 10 minutes earlier?

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2
as in fixing
to remove the sex organs of contends that cats and dogs that have been altered make better pets

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of altering When, in the wake of one of these life-altering events, everything must go, an estate sale is a way to sell off a large amount of furniture, decor, and art all at once. — Zoey Goto, Architectural Digest, 7 Aug. 2026 Climatologists and other water-supply experts say the current long-term drought is being exacerbated by climate change, which is altering how much water falls on the Rocky Mountains as snow before melting into the Colorado River. — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026 Increasingly, states are altering their laws to allow automakers to sell cars directly to customers. — Sean Tucker, AJC.com, 7 Aug. 2026 That means magnetized and unmagnetized gas can blend into each other; cool material from the edges of the convection cells can leak into the magnetic regions, altering how heat moves just beneath the visible surface. — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 7 Aug. 2026 La línea can be a mere inconvenience, or a life-altering divide. — Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Aug. 2026 In fact, Dolby would argue that this feature actually preserves artistic intent in terms of the viewer’s perception rather than altering it in any negative sense. — John Archer, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026 The warm water heats the air above it, fueling more thunderstorms, lowering atmospheric pressure and altering the arrangement of pressure systems and the jet stream worldwide. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 6 Aug. 2026 Centennial Beach and the Paddleboat Quarry are among the Naperville Park District’s seasonal facilities that will be altering their hours as the end of summer approaches. — Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for altering
  1. modifying
  2. fixing
  3. changing
  4. remodeling
Verb
  • Kim also accused the United States of enabling Japan’s military buildup by supplying Tomahawk missiles, modifying vessels for their operation and supporting the missile tests.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Kan highlights cautious optimism from new diagnostic blood tests and disease-modifying drugs, and stresses lifestyle changes as the most accessible path to brain health.
    — Sue Peschin, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of modifying
Verb
  • Those not worth fixing are harvested for parts and then recycled.
    — Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Reading the whole bill feels like scrolling social media and jotting down every commenter’s ideas on what needs fixing.
    — Jason Kirk, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of fixing
Verb
  • Hiring patterns also are changing, said Nela Richardson, ADP’s chief economist.
    — Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The months-long delay, barring a settlement, has added to industry angst given how rapidly the marketplace keeps changing due to tech and audience shifts.
    — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of changing
Verb
  • The Fox was taken over by a consortium of filmmakers led by Jason Reitman, who is working on remodeling the venue and has opened it to screenings this summer in advance of the remodeling as the Director’s Village.
    — Pat Saperstein, Variety, 21 July 2026
  • American is now remodeling cabins across the fleet and taking deliveries of new planes with interiors that feature new amenities and more premium seats.
    — Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 19 July 2026
Definition of remodeling

Browse Nearby Words

alter egos
altering
alternate
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Cite this Entry

“Altering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/altering. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on altering

Nglish: Translation of altering for Spanish Speakers

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