How to Use modify in a Sentence

modify

verb
  • She has modified her views on the matter.
  • We can help you modify an existing home or build a new one.
  • We played a modified version of our favorite game.
  • He modified the recipe by using oil instead of butter.
  • The design was modified to add another window.
  • Adjectives usually modify nouns, and adverbs usually modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.
  • That doesn’t mean there can’t be ways to modify around the edges.
    — San Francisco Chronicle Staff, San Francisco Chronicle, 11 June 2021
  • There are two main ways to modify push-ups: Stay on the floor but drop to your knees.
    — Jenny McCoy, SELF, 16 June 2025
  • And there's no shame in dropping to your knees to modify this move.
    — Sara Coughlin, SELF, 9 Aug. 2021
  • Many stores will have modified hours on Dec. 24 and Dec. 25 this year.
    — Laura Daniella Sepulveda, The Arizona Republic, 24 Dec. 2024
  • The question, then, was how to modify all the other parts of the graph to produce this state.
    — Anil Ananthaswamy, Wired News, 16 Aug. 2025
  • Start11 can be used to modify the Windows 11 taskbar as well.
    — Mark Hachman, PCWorld, 11 Aug. 2021
  • The court can agree with it, the court can disagree with it or modify it in some respect.
    — Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2025
  • Since then, the Fed has backtracked to some extent and slightly modified its stance to bear some of the blame.
    — Steve H. Hanke, National Review, 4 May 2023
  • Don’t show an image of the standard alert and modify it in any way.
    — Jacob Siegal, BGR, 27 Apr. 2021
  • Can the coach modify some of his entrenched habits, leading the Raiders into the fast lane?
    — Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Dec. 2020
  • The clinic had asked that his sentence be modified to 15 years to life.
    — Hannah Wiley, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2023
  • If a corner tightens up, just subtly curl the wrist and squeeze evenly on the wheel to modify the arc.
    — Mark Ewing, Forbes, 13 May 2021
  • The son’s video game begins to modify the limits of the real and virtual and life and death.
    — John Hopewell, Variety, 22 Nov. 2021
  • In that case, feel free to modify any of the cues the instructors give to create a workout that’s more doable for you.
    — Michelle Konstantinovsky, SELF, 17 Aug. 2022
  • If this is too demanding, modify the plank by resting the weight on your knees instead of the toes.
    — Bryant Stamford, The Courier-Journal, 22 Sep. 2022
  • The Emmys did go on during the pandemic, but the show was modified.
    — Matthew Gilbert, BostonGlobe.com, 28 July 2023
  • Her idea was to modify the platform that McLaren had been using for its race cars to work for humans.
    — Neil Singh, Wired, 15 June 2021
  • Many screens are adjustable to modify the height to get the aspect ratio just right.
    — L.a. Hubilla, Peoplemag, 21 Sep. 2023
  • In 2017, the design was slightly modified and a silver outline was swapped with the black one.
    — Jenna Malinowski, Detroit Free Press, 7 July 2023
  • Moreover, the number of table seats at the front of The Shell can be modified from concert to concert.
    — George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2025
  • Facebook lifted the ban once the government agreed to modify the law.
    — BostonGlobe.com, 22 Mar. 2021
  • Users can easily modify the tanks thanks to the thin straps that are adjustable to your preferred fit.
    — Annie Burdick, Peoplemag, 29 Sep. 2022
  • The contract was modified in 2013 to allow ICE to house immigrants facing deportation at the jail.
    — Kristine Phillips, IndyStar, 26 Aug. 2025
  • That suggestion was then modified to the item considered by the Finance Committee on Wednesday.
    — Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'modify.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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