No matter how long you’ve been writing, there is a point where all your thoughts feel repetitive. Sometimes that’s due to the actual thought you’re trying to push forward, and sometimes it’s because there are only so many words that come up in the toolbox of your brain. Today, we’re going to find some options to swap out everyday words that can easily be overused. With help from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary and Thesaurus, you can pick out the definition you need and the alternative word that works for you. 

It’s time for some word swapping. 

Just

Option 1: by a very small margin

Merriam-Webster offers a number of meanings behind using the word just. Yet, using it to show relation to a margin is one is easily replaced by a more specific option.  

Thanks to that last all-nighter, we’ll just make the deadline. 

In this example, it’s not hard to tell that the word is talking about a time margin. Even though the sample isn’t a bad sentence, there is room for improvement with a simple word swap. 

Thanks to that last all-nighter, we’ll barely make the deadline.

As you can tell, the main thought is still intact but the sentence gained a little extra boost of power by the specificity. 

Option 2: in the same manner

It’s a common practice to use just as an adjective for things that are very similar, in one form or another. While it isn’t a misstep  to use the word in your sentence for that purpose, there are other options that don’t land quite as flat. Check out the example. 

That sketch looks just like her. 

We have a nice simple sentence, but there is a little bit of missing weight in the message. Watch what happens after the swap:

That sketch looks exactly like her. 

It’s not an overhaul, but the point of this sentence gets a little extra nudge forward.

Real

Option 1: being as it appears or claims

Real itself can be an impacting word. Nevertheless, sometimes you have to switch it out for other options to make sure that the power lands effectively.

The more you keep repeating those words, the less real they feel. 

 But when that real is swapped out, it could look like:

The more you keep repeating those words, the less genuine they feel. 

A switch like this doesn’t just provide more power to the message, but makes the purpose behind it that much more evident. 

Option 2: living in fact

Of course, there are the times you’re trying to use real as a note of the current reality. Attempting to layer on something like that with many different options, can turn into a repetitive knot. That is why it’s bet to keep a few words in the back of your head for these situations.

I know trying to put something like this together seems like a long shot, but it’s our only real option.

But if we swap it out for something else, then you get: 

I know trying to put something like this together seems like a long shot, but it’s our only concrete option. 

Here, concrete is trying to give more of a physical sense about the reality of the facts. The power and the physical reference of such a sturdy substance work together in reassuring the validity of the option. 

Keep this resource on hand. download the word swap chart here

Have

Option 1: to agree to receive

When it comes to using the word have we all too often focus merely on the form of it that shows ownership. As you can see there are other forms that sometimes also require a change. For this instance, we are talking about agreeing to, or receiving a task or assignment. 

Despite the chaos this morning, I still have coffee pick-up before the study group.

This is a perfectly fine sentence. But if you require to use have somewhere else in your writing, this particular spot might need a swap. 

Despite the chaos this morning, I’m still taking the coffee in for our study group. 

Using take in this case does require a small amount of rewriting, but it still holds the fact that this job was accepted and will be done. 

Option 2: to come to knowledge about something by living it.

Among the other uses for have, there’s the relationship to experience. When we’re talking about it in conversation, the fallback is always to use the contraction I’ve. But you always need a change up once and a while. 

Don’t worry about it, I have taken this route before. 

When dealing with this meaning of the word, your solution is much simpler than you might expect. 

Don’t worry about it, I know this route.

To boil it down, when you have experience then you know something about that moment don’t you? By swapping out the two words, it helps you get to the point without having to string too many words together. 

Being

Option 1: the quality or qualities that make a thing what it is

Trying to use being in a sentence can bring a number of complicated layers with it. For our first example, being acts as a noun, which means it will get swapped with another noun. When it comes to this specific word, it’s best to swap it out where you have the option, so the sentences that require using it don’t create excessive repetition. 

Optimism like that is baked into his being, you’ll get used to it. 

A swap like for this message might look like: 

Optimism like that is just part of his nature, you’ll get used to it. 

If nature doesn’t fit what you’re looking for, another option is essence. 

Option 2: to take place

Being also has numerous meanings when it’s in verb form. For the second form here, we’re dealing with the action of things happening. To gain a little more clarity, look at the example. 

We can’t stop every event from being what they are.

Now, there is a time and a place where this sentence would be a great fit. However, if it lands too close to another sentence that requires the word, this is the sentence that might be more flexible. Watch what happens with the swap. 

We can’t stop every event from happening. 

Your impact of the sentence is still intact, only a little more condensed.

Option 3: to have life

There are forms of being you don’t realize belong to that verb. Since being at its root is trying to show life and existence, there are many words that are technically forms of being in different situations and tenses. In this discussion we’ll be dealing with the third person, present tense, singular form commonly known as, is. 

When we’re in conversation, it’s a common habit to fall back on this word. However, that can actually cause a small amount of confusion. Is that person physically standing in that location right now? When you’re in situations like this, it all hinges on context, and it can be a bit ambiguous to a reader. 

From the last thing I heard, the director is still on Cherry Street.

But if we were to swap: 

From the last thing I heard, the director still lives on Cherry Street. 

Not only do we gain context from switching these verbs out, but the sentence itself has a stronger structure. If you needed to cut off that first part for any particular reason, the main information is clear and independent.