"modifies" in the verb sense

1. modify

make less severe or harsh or extreme

"please modify this letter to make it more polite"

"he modified his views on same-gender marriage"

2. modify, qualify

add a modifier to a constituent

3. change, alter, modify

cause to change make different cause a transformation

"The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"

"The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue"

Source: WordNet® (An amazing lexical database of English)

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