1
general::
verb ADV. considerably, dramatically, fundamentally, a lot, radically, significantly Our way of life has changed dramatically over the last ten years. Jane has changed a lot since she went to university. | completely | (very) little The village has actually changed very little in the last hundred years. | all the time, constantly, continually The language is changing all the time. | fast, rapidly, suddenly Attitudes to marriage are changing fast. | gradually, slowly PREP. from Leeds changed from a small market town into a busy city. | into, to His anger changed to sadness. PHRASES change out of all recognition The town had changed out of all recognition., noun becoming/making sb/sth different ADJ. big, considerable, dramatic, drastic, enormous, extensive, far-reaching, fundamental, important, major, marked, massive, momentous, profound, radical, revolutionary, sea, significant, substantial, sweeping, wholesale Television has undergone a sea change in the last two years. | complete | irreversible | systematic | cosmetic, marginal, minimal, minor, slight, small, subtle | long-term, short-term | abrupt, rapid, sudden | gradual | seasonal | net, overall net change in incomes | global | qualitative, quantitative | beneficial, desirable, effective, exciting, nice, pleasant, refreshing, welcome | unwelcome | unanticipated, unexpected, unforeseen | climate, constitutional, cultural, demographic, economic, environmental, legislative, organizational, political, population, social, structural, technological | culture, gear, name, policy, rule, sex the need for a culture change within the industry He made a rapid gear change as he approached the bend. VERB + CHANGE make I made a couple of minor changes to my opening paragraph. It made a pleasant change not having to work. | bring about, cause, effect, force, produce How far does war bring about social change? | introduce We are going to introduce a few changes to the system. | undergo | show He needs to show a change in attitude if he is to succeed. | reflect Courses offered in schools reflect changes in the job market. | adapt to Businesses have to adapt to change. | call for, demand He called for a change of mood in Scottish politics. | oppose, resist We resist change because of fear of the unknown. | prevent | be subject to Train times are subject to change without notice. CHANGE + VERB occur, take place Major economic changes have occurred recently. PREP. for a ~ I usually take the bus to town, but today I cycled for a change. | ~ from, ~ in The last few years have seen a change in attitudes to single parents. | ~ of a change of government | ~ to the change from the old to the new system PHRASES a change for the better/worse I reckon we've all made a big change for the better. | a change of clothes (= an extra set of clothes to change into) Take a change of clothes in case you get dirty. | a change of heart/mind He said he's not coming, but he might have a change of heart. | a change of scene I needed a change of scene after being in the job for so long. | a climate of change In the current climate of change, adaptability is vital. | the pace/rate of change A successful company must keep up with the pace of technological change. | a period of change The eighties were a period of great change in publishing. | the tide of change The president realized he could not hold back the tide of change, and resigned. coins/notes of low value ADJ. loose, small He emptied his pockets of loose change. PREP. in ~ I've got about 25 dollars in change. | ~ for Ask the cashier if she has change for a £20 note. money you get back if you pay too much VERB + CHANGE check, count | give This machine does not give change. | get | take | keep I told the taxi driver to keep the change. PREP. ~ from/out of The meal left me with not much change from £100.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
5
general::
to change something
change
to make someone or something different:
• Unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do to change the situation. • Being at college has changed her – she’s much more confident now.
alter
especially written tochange something so that it is better or more suitable:
• You can alter the colour and size of the image using a remote control. • Can we alter the date of the meeting?
adapt
to change something slightly in order to improve it or make it more suitable:
• How much would it cost to adapt the existing equipment? • You can adapt the recipe to suit your own requirements.
adjust
to make small changes in the position or level of something in order to improve it or make it more suitable:
• How do you adjust the volume on the television? • He adjusted his tie in the mirror.
modify
especially written to make small changes to something such as a piece of equipment, a set of ideas, or a way of behaving in order to improve it or use it in a different way:
• He’s modified his opinions since then. • a modified version of the original program.
reform
to change a law, system, organization etc so that it is fairer or more effective:
• plans to reform the tax system • Health care needs to be completely reformed.
revise
to change a plan, idea, law etc because of new information and ideas:
• In July, China revised the rules for foreign investment. • The findings could force the scientists to revise their ideas about climate change.
reorganize
to change the way that a system or organization works:
• We’ve had to reorganize our database • During the 1980s, the government reorganized the civil service.
restructure
to make big changes to the way something is organized, especially a large political or economic system or a big company, in order to make it more effective:
• The company has been restructured from top to bottom.
to change something completely
transform
to change something completely, especially so that it is much better:
• Well, you’ve certainly transformed this place – it looks great! • Putin transformed the Russian economy.
revolutionize
to completely and permanently change the way people do something or think about something, especially because of a new idea or invention:
• Computers have revolutionized the way we work. • This important discovery revolutionized our understanding of the universe.
to change something in order to deceive people
distort
to explain facts, statements etc in a way that makes them seem different from what they really are:
• The judge said that she had deliberately tried to distort the facts. • Don’t try to distort the truth.
twist
to dishonestly change the meaning of a piece of information or of something that someone has said, in order to get an advantage for yourself or to support your own opinion:
• He accused reporters of twisting his words. • In her article she twisted the meaning of what I said.
misrepresent
to give people a wrong idea about someone or their opinions, by what you write or say:
• I hope I have not misrepresented her opinion. • He’s taking legal action to stop the film, claiming it grossly misrepresents him., change
noun [ uncountable and countable ] a situation in which someone or something becomes different, or the act of making something different:
• There was a sudden change in the weather. • We are living in a period of great change. • He was told to make some slight changes to his essay.
alteration
noun [ uncountable and countable ] a change, especially a small one that happens naturally or gradually, or one that is made in order to improve something:
• I noticed a slight alteration in her behaviour. • They had to make some alterations to their original theory.
reform
noun [ uncountable and countable ] a change made to a system or law in order to improve it:
• He called for a reform of our outdated voting system. • Many people opposed the economic reforms.
shift
noun [ countable ] a change, especially in people’s attitudes or in the way they do things, or in the position of someone or something:
• a shift in public opinion about the war • There has been a noticeable shift in government policy on education. • There needs to be a major shift away from road transport to rail transport. • After he died, there was a dramatic shift in the balance of power.
swing
a big change, especially in someone’s opinions or moods:
• There has been a big swing toward the Democrats (= many more people are supporting them ) . • The drug can cause mood swings .
fluctuation
noun [ uncountable and countable ] a change in something - used when something changes often:
• fluctuations in the value of the dollar • temperature fluctuations • fluctuations in his mood • There has been some fluctuation in productivity levels.
a great change
transformation
noun [ uncountable and countable ] a change in which something or someone becomes completely different:
• There has been a complete transformation in his attitude since he became a father. • her transformation from shy local girl to famous movie actress
revolution
noun [ countable ] a complete change in ways of thinking or working:
• The 1970s saw the beginnings of a new technological revolution. • Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity started a revolution in scientific thinking.
shake-up
noun [ countable ] a situation in which a lot of changes are very quickly made in a system or organization in order to make it more effective:
• The department has not performed well and is badly in need of a shake-up. • The Administration is planning a thorough shake-up of the welfare system.
U-turn
noun [ countable ] a complete change in the plans of a government or political party so that it decides to do the opposite of what it originally said it would do:
• The government was forced to do a U-turn after angry protests about their taxation policy.
Longman-Thesaurus