alternately
adverb
al·ter·nate·ly
US and Canadian
ˈȯl-tər-nət-lē
also ˈal-;
chiefly British ȯl-ˈtər-
1
: by turns one after the other
His heart rate was 175, his blood pressure alternately spiking and falling.—
Stephen King
Stephen KingAs the gravitational waves passed Earth, they would alternately compress and expand the space between two objects.—Neil deGrasse Tyson et al.
Neil deGrasse Tyson et al.The rest of the day I spent alternately pacing the length of the train … or looking out the windows.—Rick Riordan
Rick Riordan2
: as an alternative
—used to introduce a different possibility from what has been previously suggested or described
From then on, you can take out almost $10,000 a year and annuitize $160,000 after at least ten years. Alternately, you can make no withdrawals and let your guaranteed base grow by 6 percent a year.—Kerry Pechter
Kerry PechterThe club was originally known as Fontana Bar (or, alternately, Fontana Lounge and Fontana Room) from Bellagio's opening until it shifted to Hyde in December 2011.—John Katsilometes
John KatsilometesYou could be in for a pretty remarkable experience—or, alternately, one of the most miserable and terrifying nights of your life.—Drew Schwartz
Drew SchwartzExamples of alternately in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture alternately to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating until just combined.
—Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 14 Apr. 2025
But Trump maintains that tariffs are key to protecting American jobs and products, raising revenue, rebalancing the global trading system and alternately punishing and extracting concessions from other countries.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 9 Apr. 2025
Technology can speed up communication, but that in turn can increase confusion and stress—or, alternately, enhance collaboration.
—Csaba Toth, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
Long relegated to dining rooms and underutilized walls, these storage cabinets (alternately referred to as credenzas or buffet tables) are having a moment.
—Bailey Berg, Architectural Digest, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for alternately
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.
Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 14 Apr. 2025
But Trump maintains that tariffs are key to protecting American jobs and products, raising revenue, rebalancing the global trading system and alternately punishing and extracting concessions from other countries.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 9 Apr. 2025
Technology can speed up communication, but that in turn can increase confusion and stress—or, alternately, enhance collaboration.
—Csaba Toth, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
Long relegated to dining rooms and underutilized walls, these storage cabinets (alternately referred to as credenzas or buffet tables) are having a moment.
—Bailey Berg, Architectural Digest, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for alternately
Cite this Entry
“Alternately.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alternately. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share