1
as in to alter
to limit the meaning of (as a noun) adjectives are words that modify nouns, while adverbs can modify adjectives and verbs

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word modify different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of modify are alter, change, and vary. While all these words mean "to make or become different," modify suggests a difference that limits, restricts, or adapts to a new purpose.

modified the building for use by the disabled

When can alter be used instead of modify?

The meanings of alter and modify largely overlap; however, alter implies a difference in some particular respect without suggesting loss of identity.

slightly altered the original design

When is it sensible to use change instead of modify?

The words change and modify are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, change implies making either an essential difference often amounting to a loss of original identity or a substitution of one thing for another.

changed the shirt for a larger size

When would vary be a good substitute for modify?

Although the words vary and modify have much in common, vary stresses a breaking away from sameness, duplication, or exact repetition.

vary your daily routine

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 modify Still, it was modified for speed with larger throttle bodies, ported cylinder heads, two-into-two exhaust, race camshafts, and a higher compression ratio. Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2025 Such a review — with the prospect of modifying or eliminating the rules — is mandated by Congress every four years. Ted Johnson, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2025 Under local law, even inoperable or replica weapons are considered potentially operable if they can be modified to fire, placing them under the same strict legal framework. Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025 If a customer has no option to disregard or modify the charge, it cannot be deducted from the employee’s income. Bay Area News Group, Mercury News, 29 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for modify
Recent Examples of Synonyms for modify
Verb
  • The charges allege Scholz took an ex-girlfriend's photo from social media and altered it with artificial intelligence software to make the woman nude.
    David Clarey, jsonline.com, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Approval of Evita’s pill is not expected to significantly alter access to mifepristone.
    Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • But a left knee injury in March 2024 changed his football trajectory.
    Dane Brugler, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
  • The shutdown could change all that.
    Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Requirements differ between states, with some requiring a one-week waiting period before someone qualifies for payments, the OPM said.
    Medora Lee, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
  • The boundaries change bus eligibility within the district’s neighborhoods, meaning some students that didn’t qualify for district public transportation may now, according to the district.
    Sofi Zeman October 2, Kansas City Star, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Interior designer Richard Brayton remodeled the house in 1990s.
    David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 3 Oct. 2025
  • The program, which is estimated to initially cost the brand about $1 billion, involves remodeling more than 1,000 Starbucks locations in the US and Canada over the next year along with closing more than 400 in the last three months.
    Bradley Hohulin, IndyStar, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Has the world's most volatile region been transformed?
    Susan Page, USA Today, 5 Oct. 2025
  • The 26-foot-tall bronze sculpture depicts a male figure that transforms into tree branches housing various bird species.
    Duante Beddingfield, Freep.com, 4 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Modify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/modify. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.

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