The invention relates to a variant of a parent Termamyl-like &agr;-amylase, comprising mutations in two, three, four, five or six regions/positions. The variants have increased thermostability at acidic pH and/or at low Ca2+ concentrations (relative to the parent). The invention also relates to a DNA construct comprising a DNA sequence encoding an &agr;-amylase variant of the invention, a recombinant expression vector which carries a DNA construct of the invention, a cell which is transformed with a DNA construct of the invention, the use of an &agr;-amylase variant of the invention for washing and/or dishwashing, textile desizing, starch liquefaction, a detergent additive comprising an &agr;-amylase variant of the invention, a manual or automatic dishwashing detergent composition comprising an &agr;-amylase variant of the invention, a method for generating a variant of a parent Termamyl-like &agr;-amylase, which variant exhibits increased thermostability at acidic pH and/or at low Ca2+ concentrations (relative to the parent).