Synonyms for

Alternating

Verb / ˈɔ:ltɜ:ˌneɪtɪŋ / Another word for alternating — explore alternatives below. For syllable breakdowns and pronunciation, see this word on Syllablesworld.

Definition

occurring in turn repeatedly

Synonyms & similar words

alternate tack understudy flipflop taketurns flip direct interchange jump switch rotating interchanging shifting swapping oscillating fluctuating varying changing switching exchanging mutating transmuting modulating transposing replacing substituting swaying vacillating undulating wavering

Synonyms by register

Formal

intermittent reciprocal successive oscillating

Informal

back and forth on and off switching

Literary

wavering flickering shifting

Antonyms

continuous constant uninterrupted steady uniform consecutive parallel

Common collocations

  • alternating current
  • alternating pattern
  • alternating sequence
  • alternating colors
  • alternating rows
  • alternating periods
  • alternating states

Word family

noun alternation
verb alternate
adverb alternately

Usage note

Often used to describe something that changes between two states or actions. Be careful not to confuse with 'consecutive' when referring to items in a series.

Example sentences

  1. I like to alternate between sweet and salty snacks.
  2. The cat was alternating between sleeping and playing.
  3. The traffic lights were alternating between green and red.
  4. He was alternating between laughing and crying.
  5. She was alternating between hot and cold flashes.

Quotes

  • The one thing that brings people together, regardless of their age, gender, religion, or nationality, is the alternating current of love and pain, misery and joy, need and satisfaction, fear and courage, and longing and fulfillment.
  • Life is an alternating current of happiness and sadness, joy and sorrow, love and hate, acceptance and rejection, success and failure, health and illness, and birth and death.
  • The universe is an alternating current of energy and matter, light and darkness, space and time, and chaos and order.

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