- 1[transitive] to make things or people follow one after the other in a repeated pattern alternate A and B Alternate cubes of meat and slices of red pepper on the kebabs. alternate A with B Alternate cubes of meat with slices of red pepper on the kebabs. Her music alternates moments of sudden quiet with moments of dramatic intensity.
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- 2[intransitive] (of things or people) to follow one after the other in a repeated pattern alternating dark and pale stripes alternate with something Dark stripes alternate with pale ones.
- 3[intransitive] alternate between A and B to keep changing from one thing to another and back again Her mood alternated between happiness and despair.
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NAmE//ˈɔltərˌneɪt//
Verb Forms present simple I / you / we / they alternate he / she / it alternates
past simple alternated
-ing form alternating
NAmE//ˌɔltərˈneɪʃn//
noun [uncountable, countable] the alternation of day and night Such rapid alternations of mood are a feature of her writing.See alternate in the Oxford Advanced Learner's DictionaryCheck pronunciation: alternate