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
The couple who followed them—two shirtless men, around the same height, alternately lifting each other up and rolling over each other with playful, affectionate aggression—struck me as equally political, suggesting not just what was banned but what was possible.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 4 Feb. 2026
The skirts were done alternately in heavy wool crêpe or covered in sequins, with the material informing how they were made, a key element of the designer’s approach.
—Alex Wynne, Footwear News, 29 Jan. 2026
Lay half of strips lengthwise over jam mixture, spacing evenly, then arrange remaining strips crosswise across, working alternately over and under lengthwise strips to create a lattice pattern (leave barely any space between strips so top is completely covered).
—Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
The results can seem alternately astounding and amateurish.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for alternately
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The New Yorker, New Yorker, 4 Feb. 2026
The skirts were done alternately in heavy wool crêpe or covered in sequins, with the material informing how they were made, a key element of the designer’s approach.
—Alex Wynne, Footwear News, 29 Jan. 2026
Lay half of strips lengthwise over jam mixture, spacing evenly, then arrange remaining strips crosswise across, working alternately over and under lengthwise strips to create a lattice pattern (leave barely any space between strips so top is completely covered).
—Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
The results can seem alternately astounding and amateurish.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 26 Jan. 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 15 Feb. 2026.
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