modifies

present tense third-person singular of modify
1
as in alters
to limit the meaning of (as a noun) adjectives are words that modify nouns, while adverbs can modify adjectives and verbs

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2

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 modifies When transitioning from hard flooring to rugs or carpets, the system automatically adjusts suction levels and modifies its brush roll behavior to maximize particle pickup while preventing hair entanglements around the main rollers. — New Atlas, 29 Sep. 2026 In anticipation of the court ruling, a law passed by the Illinois General Assembly in June modifies the state residency requirement that applies to students without permanent legal status. — Kate Perez, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2026 The final kickoff adjustment modifies alignment requirements for receiving team players in the setup zone. — Jayna Bardahl, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026 An agent that calls the wrong API or modifies the wrong record creates consequences a hallucinated sentence simply cannot. — Hemant Kashyap, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026 So the team fed AlphaFold versions of a target DNA sequence, along with a guide RNA, the Cas9 sequence, and an enzyme that chemically modifies bases and can stick to Cas9. — ArsTechnica, 24 July 2026 For example, Texas angler Dustin Grice modifies his spinnerbaits by adding chartreuse and white willow-leaf blades with a matching chartreuse/white skirt. — David A. Brown, Outdoor Life, 1 July 2026 The company’s claim is that MST modifies the mechanical stress state of the silicon surface in a way that discourages dislocation nucleation and propagation during the subsequent GaN growth steps. — Aditya Jadhav, Interesting Engineering, 8 June 2026 This bill modifies the sales-in-error regulations to create a new category for any current outstanding certificates to be automatically declared in error, meaning those sales will be reversed, tax buyers will be refunded and the process will restart under the new statute. — Jenna Schweikert, CBS News, 1 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for modifies
Verb
  • Don’t take anything that alters your judgment or leaves you dependent on others to keep you safe.
    — Jennifer Obel, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026
  • But as climate change alters Earth’s weather and environment, petrichor is going to transform, too.
    — Gregory Wakeman, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • This changes the alignment of the two ferromagnetic layers, which alters how easily electrons can tunnel through the insulating barrier (a quantum phenomenon known as tunnel magnetoresistance) and changes the sensor’s electrical resistance.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Until… One big moment changes everything when a glitch occurs and the model agent solves a problem by lying about it, creating a scenario that is not true.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 5 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Through it all, Pi-o and Jeong-yo’s intense, often tender relationship serves as a throughline, bringing many viewers to question if the Netflix series qualifies as a boys’ love (aka BL) drama.
    — Kayti Burt, Time, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The winner out of the field of six in the Grade 1 Champagne qualifies for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile for 2-year-olds, the championship race that sometimes provides a sneak peek at the Kentucky Derby contenders the following spring.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Retinol also remodels and thickens that deeper layer of skin.
    — Sherri Gordon, HEALTH, 31 Aug. 2026
  • More than just structural support For decades, scientists have known that bone provides support, stores minerals and continuously remodels itself.
    — Priya Bhardwaj, The Conversation, 22 June 2026
Verb
  • At night, the theater transforms into a nightclub featuring various DJs.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Instead of buying one bag, a luxury shopper might buy three to four pairs of shoes, which transforms their outfit four times over.
    — Madeleine Schulz, Vogue, 6 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The film itself reworks a story that first reached Japanese cinemas in 1983.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The painting exists as a whole because of the way de Kooning works and reworks the surface.
    — Hilton Als, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Modifies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/modifies. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster