Example
alter (verb)
Change part of something without changing it completely.
Remote working has altered the way offices are designed.
Written by Fizza Butool Zaidi and Ali Zaidi
12 alternatives
Change part of something without changing it completely.
Remote working has altered the way offices are designed.
Make small changes, usually to improve.
The rules were modified to allow part-time students to apply.
Change completely, usually for the better.
The internet has transformed the way people learn languages.
Change a whole field completely. British spelling with -ise.
Cheap air travel revolutionised international tourism.
Don't swap blindly: Very strong; only for complete, wide-reaching change.
Change to suit new conditions.
Older workers often have to adapt to new technology.
Make small changes to fit a situation.
It took me a few months to adjust to the weather in the UK.
A change in direction, attitude or emphasis.
There has been a shift in attitudes towards working from home.
Change gradually over a long time.
The role of the teacher has evolved from lecturer to guide.
Examine and change a system thoroughly.
The tax system needs a complete overhaul.
Change something into a different form or use.
Many old warehouses have been converted into flats.
Change from one thing to another.
More commuters are switching from cars to bicycles.
Be different in different cases or times.
Attitudes to marriage vary widely between generations.
Don't swap blindly: Vary means 'be different', not 'make a change'. 'The government varied the law' is wrong.
Paraphrasing
Band tip: the public IELTS Writing band descriptors for Lexical Resource describe Band 7 as using “less common lexical items” with “some awareness of style and collocation”. A synonym that changes your meaning or breaks a collocation works against you, so choose the word that fits the sentence, not the rarest one you know.
In context
Technology has transformed family routines. Parents who once left work at the office now adjust their evenings around emails, and children have switched from outdoor play to games on screens. This shift has not been entirely negative, but families have had to adapt by setting new rules about when devices can be used.
Alter and modify for partial or small changes, transform and revolutionise for complete ones, adapt and adjust for changing to fit, and shift for a change in direction or attitude.
Adapt suggests a bigger change to suit a new situation; adjust suggests small changes. You adapt to a new country and adjust a timetable.
Usually. 'Transformed' suggests a striking change, normally an improvement. For a negative change, use a word such as 'damaged' or 'eroded'.
No. Evolve describes gradual change over a long time. For fast change, use transform, shift rapidly or change dramatically.
Practise
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