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to change

to change

32 1.8
To move from one bus or train to another to continue a journey
  • verb
  • /tʃeɪndʒ/
: cambiar de
  • I need to change trains at the next station to reach my destination.

Now, I want to change gears here for a moment.

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Examples

  • We'll keep doing sets of 50 till it's time to change stations.

  • Students habitually need to change from one group to another quickly, safely, and quietly.

    Academic text (2006)
  • When it arrived, he turned down the volume and changed the channel.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • You were changing planes in Dallas.

  • Remember that you will have to change at Kouvola for the train to Joensuu.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Make sure to change buses at the terminal if you want to go downtown.

  • During the trip, we will change our itinerary to include more sightseeing.

Synonyms

to switch
vsto change
867 2.0

To change one thing or person for another

is used mainly for moving between vehicles or transport lines rather than any activity
to transfer
vsto change
10 3.0

To change from one vehicle to another during a trip

is broader and includes moving between activities as well as transport

Antonyms

∞ 1.0

To stay in the same place or state and not change

to stay put
  • Informal
126 2.0

Remain in the same place without moving

Idioms

20 5.0

To have a different opinion after seeing new facts or benefits

To make a big difference in a situation that gives a clear advantage

To make a big lasting change to what happens next

To make a place, industry or situation look and work very differently

Switching leaders or plans during a project that is already happening when it is risky

Make the situation different so some people have a better chance to win

Start small actions that lead to change later

5.1

To show a different opinion after you were against it before

Phrasal Verbs

To make a big and lasting difference in someone's life

Make someone think differently about something

Decide to think or act differently from before

To cause something to happen in a different way or direction

To be sold or given to a new owner

Switch to a different television channel by pressing a button or using the remote

To become a different shape

Turn a ship to a new direction to avoid danger

To make a big positive difference to people's lives

To become a different shape or look

To switch from one system, method, or activity to another

to short-change
  • Informal
8 7.0

Give someone less money than they should get

To willingly accept and adapt to new situations

To request small amounts of money from people on the street

3 5.1

To try a different way to deal with a problem

Publicly support changes to make things better

To make the outside of something look, feel, or work differently

Compounds

climate change
  • Specialized
387 2.8

A long change in the Earth's usual weather and temperature

change of heart
  • Informal
55 3.4

A time when a person decides they feel differently about something

37 3.5

A big new rule by a government or group that makes them act differently

34 1.0

Small coins or money you do not need and carry with you

An extra set of clothes to wear if your clothes get wet or dirty

sex change
  • Specialized
23 4.2

A medical operation and hormone treatment to make a person's body match the gender they feel

The time when a country's leaders, laws and policies become different after elections or protests

20 2.3

Replacing old oil in a car engine with fresh oil

change of pace
  • Informal
19 3.2

An activity that is different from your normal routine to give you a pleasant break

19 3.3

A trip to a new place to feel refreshed

19 6.3

A big, lasting difference in the way people think or do things

global climate change
  • Specialized
19 3.3

Long-term change in Earth's usual weather and temperature mainly caused by people

A rise or fall in how hot something is

chump change
  • Informal
14 8.2

A very small amount of money that hardly matters next to bigger costs

13 2.5

A small amount of money, usually coins, kept for minor expenses

11 3.3

A quick move from one state to another

11 3.1

Small coins people keep in pockets or jars

9 2.3

A small amount of money in coins that is not worth much

physical change
  • Specialized
7 3.4

A change where something changes state or appearance but stays the same substance

7 5.7

Medical treatment with surgery and hormones that helps a person live as a different gender

A decision to take back a previous choice or opinion

A big life event that changes how a person lives or thinks

A move to face or go a different way

A slow process of change and development by small steps over time

A move to a different direction physically or in plans

A shift in the weather that brings different temperatures, rain, or wind

3 5.9

Able to change clothes or roles very quickly

chemical change
  • Specialized
3 3.7

A process that turns one substance into a different one by changing its atoms or molecules

phase change
  • Specialized
2 4.1

A material that moves from solid to liquid or gas without making a new substance

change-up
  • Specialized
2 6.4

A slow pitch that fools a batter who expects a fastball

2 5.9

An act of replacing the player who throws the ball with another during a baseball game

1 3.2

Moving the gears in a car changes speed or power

A move of something from one place to another

1 3.7

A process in which something becomes a different color

A change that happens over time

state change
  • Specialized
1 4.1

A process where matter moves between solid, liquid, and gas without a chemical reaction

1 3.5

A way to reduce the causes and effects of climate change

change-of-pace
  • Specialized
1 8.3

A slow pitch in baseball thrown to trick the batter

change of state
  • Specialized
1 4.3

A process when something becomes a different form or condition

The way something becomes a different form when it is bent, heated, or pressed

A time when something becomes different in size or amount

1 6.1

A place where you change one country's money for another

The time when a woman stops having periods and cannot have children

9.9

Playing tuned bells in changing sequences using set patterns

change-of-pace ball
  • Specialized
7.9

A baseball pitch thrown much slower than expected to surprise a batter

7.5

A one-time payment that a local government asks to handle a request to change how land can be used

How Direct

to transfer
10 3.0
to change
32 1.8

Surface Forms

change infinitive
changed past
changed past participle
changing present participle
changes third person singular

Etymology

Change comes from an old French word changier meaning 'to exchange' or 'swap'. So to change trains or buses is to move from one to another during a journey.