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
As the lens follows Dua, often up close and from behind, this mode of expression proves alternately absorbing and alienating.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 13 May 2026
Like those albums, LP4 operates with its own sense of logic and time, sounding alternately playful and deadly serious, proudly complex and refreshingly pared back.
—Sam Sodomsky, Pitchfork, 4 May 2026
Participants alternately clenched their toes (rock), spread them apart (paper) and crossed the big toe over the others (scissors).
—Lindsey Leake, NBC news, 29 Apr. 2026
An especially visually striking debut, Mosquitoes exists in a saturated hyperreality that is consummately engrossing, and announces the Bertani sisters as formidable portraitists of girlhood cast against the backdrop of an alternately beautiful and oppressive world.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for alternately
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Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 13 May 2026
Like those albums, LP4 operates with its own sense of logic and time, sounding alternately playful and deadly serious, proudly complex and refreshingly pared back.
—Sam Sodomsky, Pitchfork, 4 May 2026
Participants alternately clenched their toes (rock), spread them apart (paper) and crossed the big toe over the others (scissors).
—Lindsey Leake, NBC news, 29 Apr. 2026
An especially visually striking debut, Mosquitoes exists in a saturated hyperreality that is consummately engrossing, and announces the Bertani sisters as formidable portraitists of girlhood cast against the backdrop of an alternately beautiful and oppressive world.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for alternately
Cite this Entry
“Alternately.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alternately. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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