1
as in altering
to limit the meaning of (as a noun)
adjectives are words that modify nouns, while adverbs can modify adjectives and verbs
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in changing
to make different in some way
he modified the appliance so that it would run more quietly
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Recent Examples of modifying
Those included adding desks or modifying office space to make more efficient use of workplaces; shifting the location of employees’ workstations based on surplus office space; and working with California’s Department of General Services to potentially use additional space in Sacramento.
—
William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 14 May 2026
And SpaceX is modifying three pads in the Cape Canaveral area — Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center and Launch Complex 37-A and 37-B at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station — to accommodate Starship launches.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 13 May 2026
Readers proposed banning the extra-innings runner, modifying the rule to start later or on a different base or removing a defensive player instead.
—Stephen J. Nesbitt, New York Times, 13 May 2026
That could include modifying Folsom Dam to divert water going into the power plant, which could reduce electrical output.
—James Taylor, CBS News, 12 May 2026
Receiver-side kernel code then performs in-place cryptographic operations on that frag, modifying the page cache in RAM.
—Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 11 May 2026
The research team developed DuctGPT by modifying an existing model called AtomGPT, which was created by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
—Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 10 May 2026
Other projects focus on AI agents modifying their own behavior.
—Matthew Hutson, IEEE Spectrum, 7 May 2026
Keeping people in their homes often means modifying entrances to minimize steps, installing handrails, or relocating a bedroom and shower to the main floor.
—Allison Aubrey, NPR, 4 May 2026
William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 14 May 2026
And SpaceX is modifying three pads in the Cape Canaveral area — Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center and Launch Complex 37-A and 37-B at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station — to accommodate Starship launches.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 13 May 2026
Readers proposed banning the extra-innings runner, modifying the rule to start later or on a different base or removing a defensive player instead.
—Stephen J. Nesbitt, New York Times, 13 May 2026
That could include modifying Folsom Dam to divert water going into the power plant, which could reduce electrical output.
—James Taylor, CBS News, 12 May 2026
Receiver-side kernel code then performs in-place cryptographic operations on that frag, modifying the page cache in RAM.
—Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 11 May 2026
The research team developed DuctGPT by modifying an existing model called AtomGPT, which was created by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
—Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 10 May 2026
Other projects focus on AI agents modifying their own behavior.
—Matthew Hutson, IEEE Spectrum, 7 May 2026
Keeping people in their homes often means modifying entrances to minimize steps, installing handrails, or relocating a bedroom and shower to the main floor.
—Allison Aubrey, NPR, 4 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for modifying
Verb
-
Other players contributed to the efforts, but those two were consistently altering shots.—
Dan Rios,
Daily News,
10 May 2026
-
Every day in stores across Florida, thousands of people pull out their wallets and purses to scratch a lottery ticket, hoping for a life-altering prize.—
Jack Jankowski,
The Orlando Sentinel,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
Adjust the timing without changing the goal.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
9 May 2026
-
Having Last Driver be such a vehicular-centric book led him to being open to changing up its reading style and choosing to put it out in a landscape format.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Wyatt Stratton had just one goal heading into the section Division 1 swimming prelims a week ago Wednesday — qualifying in the 200-yard individual medley championships.—
Steve Brand,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 May 2026
-
Customers can join the free 7Rewards program through the 7-Eleven app to access the deals and earn points on qualifying purchases.—
Anthony Thompson,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
That same year, Weinstock’s began remodeling its department store.—
Emma Hall,
Sacbee.com,
1 May 2026
-
The project includes modifying interior space on the independent-living portion of the property at the basement level, minimal facade changes, new doors and windows, remodeling an existing unit that was abandoned and exterior improvements to site ramps.—
Ashley Mackin Solomon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Nike’s Rejuven8 Run Jelly went sport-tech, reworking the brand’s 2008 recovery shoe as a translucent PVC cage with a removable mesh bootie — part water shoe, part cage sneaker, part Y2K recovery runner.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
12 May 2026
-
By the end of the fittings, Hallyday had recut and resewn all three pieces several times, adjusting shades of white, reworking the skirt’s fabrics and refining the jacket’s cut, which was her biggest challenge.—
Kaio Cesar,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Modifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/modifying. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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