VARY Synonyms: 64 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'vary' different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of vary are alter , change , and modify . While all these words mean "to make or become different," vary stresses a breaking away from sameness, duplication, or exact repetition. // vary your daily routine

Q: When is 'alter' a more appropriate choice than 'vary'?

While the synonyms alter and vary are close in meaning, alter implies a difference in some particular respect without suggesting loss of identity. // slightly altered the original design

Q: When is it sensible to use 'change' instead of 'vary'?

The words change and vary can be used in similar contexts, but change implies making either an essential difference often amounting to a loss of original identity or a substitution of one thing for another. // changed the shirt for a larger size

Q: When might 'modify' be a better fit than 'vary'?

The synonyms modify and vary are sometimes interchangeable, but modify suggests a difference that limits, restricts, or adapts to a new purpose. // modified the building for use by the disabled

vary

verb

ˈver-ē

Definition of vary

as in to differ

to be unlike; to not be the same opinions by experts on the subject vary

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to change

to make different in some way varied the method occasionally for the sake of experimentation

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to range

to occur within a continuous range of variation the appliance store is offering discounts that vary from 10 to 40 percent, depending upon the brand

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in to shift

to pass from one form, state, or level to another terrain that constantly varied as we traveled from the coast to the interior

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word vary different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of vary are alter, change, and modify. While all these words mean "to make or become different," vary stresses a breaking away from sameness, duplication, or exact repetition.

vary your daily routine

When is alter a more appropriate choice than vary?

While the synonyms alter and vary are close in meaning, alter implies a difference in some particular respect without suggesting loss of identity.

slightly altered the original design

When is it sensible to use change instead of vary?

The words change and vary can be used in similar contexts, but change implies making either an essential difference often amounting to a loss of original identity or a substitution of one thing for another.

changed the shirt for a larger size

When might modify be a better fit than vary?

The synonyms modify and vary are sometimes interchangeable, but modify suggests a difference that limits, restricts, or adapts to a new purpose.

modified the building for use by the disabled

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of vary Connecticut, Maryland, Illinois and Washington also restrict cadmium in children’s jewelry, though limits and testing requirements vary by state. — Bilin Lin, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026 How hotel cleanliness schedules vary by brand Policy is not uniform across the industry, and for travelers running multi-city weeks, the flag on the sign matters. — Ashley Lynch, Kansas City Star, 16 Oct. 2026 These deviations are due to the interaction between the helium in their atmosphere and traces of other elements, which vary between white dwarfs, depending on what material has interacted with the star over the course of its lifetime. — Jack Guy, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026 This show's perks include early access and sponsor-free listening (perks may vary between seasons). — Josh Baker, NPR, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for vary

Recent Examples of Synonyms for vary

Verb

However, the time required to assemble an individual robot differs from the rate at which a production line can manufacture multiple units.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026
As Rash points out, two $0-premium options can differ by thousands of dollars in total out-of-pocket spending over a year depending on an individual’s health needs.

— Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of differ

Verb

The October 19 exercise tested how the vessel handled changing mission requirements and simulated machinery failures without onboard crew intervention.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2026
Most of the dye remained near the surface, although the share changed with the tide and the stratification of the water.

— Alec Luhn, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of change

Verb

Top Speed clientele range from the high school volleyball or soccer player who wants to be at their best for senior year to MLB and NFL prospects preparing for predraft workouts.

— PJ Green October 14, Kansas City Star, 14 Oct. 2026
Illustrating these style themes, each section displays pieces ranging from 1858 to the present day.

— Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of range

Verb

They are discovered well beyond the bounds of the strategic map, where the winds shift, the old answers sink, and the pilot must find the way by dead reckoning.

— Jeff DeGraff, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
The autumn sun is drifting southward and the angle of shadows is shifting.

— Dana Kelley, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of shift

Verb

Depending on the script, an attacker could potentially steal information, modify files or install additional software.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
The new generation of therapeutic peptides is chemically modified to resist breakdown in the gastrointestinal tract, where traditional peptide drugs degrade before they can be absorbed.

— Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of modify

Verb

The speed of the Earth’s rotation can fluctuate, so defining a second as a fraction of a solar day is imprecise.

— Harriet Marsden, TheWeek, 13 Oct. 2026
Most critics either loved it or hated it, and they were split right down the middle, with a Tomatometer rating that has fluctuated around 50% since the film’s release.

— Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of fluctuate

Verb

Which configuration changes in the past year altered what an AI system may decide, and did any return to the approver?

— Maman Ibrahim, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
An experimental skin cream altered molecular markers associated with aging and inflammation in an early human trial, according to preliminary data released by its developer this week.

— Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of alter

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varnishing

vary

varying

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“Vary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vary. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of vary

verb

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