alter

verb

1. cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; “The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city”; “The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue”

   Synonyms

   • change, modify

   More specific

   • awaken, wake, waken, rouse, wake up, arouse, cause to sleep, affect, refresh, freshen, refreshen, inseminate, fecundate, fertilize, fertilise (more) , indispose, cry, etiolate, shade, brutalize, brutalise, animalize, animalise, convert, opalize, opalise, arterialize, arterialise, make, get, counterchange, transpose, interchange, vascularize, vascularise, decrepitate, suburbanize, suburbanise, revolutionize, revolutionise, overturn, etiolate, barbarize, barbarise, alkalinize, alkalinise, mythologize, mythologise, mythicize, mythicise, allegorize, allegorise, demythologize, demythologise, bring, land, coarsen, affect, impact, bear upon, bear on, touch on, touch, alchemize, alchemise, alcoholize, alcoholise, shape, form, round off, round down, round out, round, suspend, sober, reconstruct, increase, ease up, ease off, let up, assimilate, dissimilate, commute, convert, exchange, vitalize, vitalise, unclutter, clear, activate, activate, activate, aerate, activate, inactivate, deactivate, deaden, blunt, remodel, reconstruct, redo, edit, redact, edit, cut, edit out, tame, chasten, subdue, chasten, moderate, temper, better, improve, amend, ameliorate, meliorate, worsen, aggravate, exacerbate, exasperate, wet, dry, dry out, lubricate, strengthen, beef up, fortify, spike, lace, fortify, weaken, blunt, oxidize, oxidise, oxidate, unite, unify, merge, age, ripen, mature, antique, antiquate, antiquate, develop, make grow, soften, damage, ossify, acerbate, stabilize, stabilise, destabilize, destabilise, sensitize, sensitise, sensify, sensibilize, sensibilise, desensitize, desensitise, habituate, accustom, disorder, disarray, discolor, color, colorize, colorise, colourise, colourize, colour, color in, colour in, stain, hue, uglify, untune, adjust, set, correct, set, disqualify, unfit, indispose, domesticate, domesticize, domesticise, reclaim, tame, widen, dehydrogenate, hydrogenate, oxygenize, oxygenise, darken, brighten, lighten up, lighten, blur, blear, obscure, bedim, overcloud, obscure, blot out, obliterate, veil, hide, cook, slenderize, slenderise, crack, dissolve, dismiss, end, terminate, demist, defog, condense, concentrate, contract, cool, chill, cool down, heat, heat up, warm, boil, freeze, blister, switch, change over, shift, transpose, convert, change over, transform, transform, transform, transmute, transform, transmute, transubstantiate, ash, translate, transform, reform, reclaim, regenerate, rectify, convert, Islamize, Islamise, turn back, invert, reverse, invert, customize, customise, personalize, personalise, individualize, individualise, depersonalize, depersonalise, objectify, sharpen, flatten, drop, disintegrate, magnetize, magnetise, demagnetize, demagnetise, degauss, simplify, complicate, refine, rarify, elaborate, refine, complicate, perplex, supercharge, pressurize, pressurise, centralize, centralise, concentrate, decentralize, deconcentrate, decentralise, socialize, socialise, fix, prepare, set up, ready, gear up, set, internationalize, internationalise, communize, communise, bolshevize, bolshevise, Europeanize, Europeanise, Europeanize, Europeanise, bestialize, bestialise, Americanize, Americanise, Frenchify, civilize, civilise, nationalize, nationalise, denationalize, denationalise, naturalize, naturalise, denaturalize, denaturalise, naturalize, naturalise, denaturalize, denaturalise, even, even out, equal, match, equalize, equalise, equate, stiffen, loosen, loose, tighten, fasten, transitivize, transitivise, detransitivize, detransitivise, intransitivize, intransitivise, thicken, inspissate, full, diversify, decelerate, slow down, deaden, accelerate, speed, speed up, check, retard, delay, decrease, lessen, minify, liquefy, liquify, liquidize, liquidise, solvate, dissolve, validate, invalidate, void, vitiate, empty, fill, fill up, make full, saturate, clot, coagulate, louden, normalize, normalise, renormalize, renormalise, morph, neutralize, neutralise, commercialize, commercialise, market, purify, purge, sanctify, mechanize, mechanise, automatize, automatise, automate, automatize, automatise, mechanize, mechanise, harmonize, harmonise, chord, polarize, polarise, glorify, contaminate, devalue, insulate, calcify, urbanize, urbanise, urbanize, urbanise, emulsify, demulsify, decarboxylate, nazify, fertilize, fecundate, fertilise, clarify, embrittle, mark, nick, disable, disenable, incapacitate, enable, de-emphasize, de-emphasise, destress, tender, tenderize, tenderise, charge, bubble, sweeten, iodinate, ionate, archaize, archaise, inform, officialize, officialise, occidentalize, occidentalise, westernize, westernise, orientalize, orientalise, acetylate, acetylize, acetylise, achromatize, achromatise, parallel, collimate, camp, classicize, classicise, conventionalize, conventionalise, decimalize, decimalise, dizzy, poison, envenom, exteriorize, exteriorise, externalize, externalise, objectify, glamorize, glamourise, glamourize, glamorise, introvert, laicize, laicise, politicize, politicise, radicalize, proof, romanticize, romanticise, rusticate, sauce, shallow, shoal, tense, steepen, scramble, unscramble, unsex, vitrify, pall, saponify, extend, expand, suspend, set aside, muddy, transform, lift, raise, elevate, harshen, dinge, demonize, demonise, devilize, devilise, diabolize, diabolise, etherealize, etherialise, immaterialize, immaterialise, unsubstantialize, unsubstantialise, animize, animise, animate, clear, dynamize, dynamise, dynamize, dynamise, rarefy, sublimate, subtilize, volatilize, volatilise, uniformize, uniformise, symmetrize, symmetrise, immortalize, immortalise, eternize, eternise, eternalize, eternalise, denature, denature, denature, sanitize, sanitise, verbify, shift, sputter, draw, make, dope, prostrate, excite, excite, energize, energise, shake, outmode, spice, spice up, shorten, think, make, deflate, inflate, reflate, digitize, digitise, digitalize, digitalise, gelatinize, gelatinise, recombine, feminize, feminise, effeminize, effeminise, womanize, masculinize, masculinise, virilize, virilise, masculinize, disharmonize, dissonate, sexualize, sexualise, schematize, schematise, patent, constitutionalize, constitutionalise, rationalize, rationalise, plasticize, plasticise, rarefy, paganize, paganise, incandesce, deaminate, deaminize, angulate, circularize, sensitize, sensitise, sensitize, sensitise, depolarize, depolarise, intensify, isomerize, isomerise, legitimate, evaporate, vaporise, industrialize, industrialise, opacify, opsonize, militarize, militarise, nationalize, nationalise, recommend, sentimentalize, sentimentalise, solemnize, solemnise, territorialize, territorialise, transaminate, transfigure, glorify, spiritualize, unsanctify, vesiculate, visualize, visualise, variegate, ventilate, vivify, vulgarise, vulgarize, supple, professionalize, professionalise, smut, still, weaponize, eroticize, sex up, piggyback, port, lifehack, cloud, confuse, blur, obscure, obnubilate, tone down, moderate, tame, obfuscate, synchronize, synchronise, mince, soften, moderate, militarize, militarise, break down, crush, fatten, fat, flesh out, fill out, plump, plump out, fatten out, fatten up, touch, disturb, dull, dull, blunt, sharpen, coarsen, loosen, untie, undo, loosen, barb, string, straighten, straighten out, bring, mix, mingle, commix, unify, amalgamate, charge, put, clean, make clean, dirty, soil, begrime, grime, colly, bemire, lower, depress, deform, break, break up, alter, decorate, adorn, grace, ornament, embellish, beautify, humanize, humanise, humble, estrange, alienate, alien, disaffect, right, desensitize, desensitise, deodorize, deodorise, deodourise, develop, blur, blind, change intensity, change taste, substitute, replace, interchange, exchange, capture, lend, impart, bestow, contribute, add, bring, restore, reinstate, reestablish, liberalize, liberalise, right, compensate, redress, correct, democratize, democratise, neutralize, corrupt, pervert, subvert, demoralize, demoralise, debauch, debase, profane, vitiate, deprave, misdirect, relax, loosen, unite, unify, flocculate, turn, cohere

2. become different in some particular way, without permanently losing one’s or its former characteristics or essence; “her mood changes in accordance with the weather”; “The supermarket’s selection of vegetables varies according to the season”

   Synonyms

   • change, vary

   More specific

   • alternate, jump, crackle, modulate, avianize, avianise, move, adapt, accommodate, let out, widen, take in, diversify, branch out, broaden (more) , diversify, radiate, specialize, specialise, narrow, narrow down, honeycomb, break

3. make an alteration to; “This dress needs to be altered”

   Less specific

   • change, alter, modify

   Entails

   • sew, tailor, tailor-make

4. insert words into texts, often falsifying it thereby

   Synonyms

   • interpolate, falsify

   Less specific

   • edit, redact

5. remove the ovaries of; “Is your cat spayed?”

   Synonyms

   • neuter, spay, castrate

   Less specific

   • sterilize, sterilise, desex, unsex, desexualize, desexualise, fix

   More specific

   • defeminize, defeminise