as in regulates
to make changes to (something) in order to keep a desirable balance, proportion, etc.
He takes insulin to modulate his blood sugar levels. She kept talking during the performance, making no effort to modulate her voice.
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Recent Examples of modulates
In doing so, poetry modulates our neuroendocrine, neuroimmune, circulatory, and other systems to bring back healing.
—
K.j.s. “sunny” Anand, Time, 15 Oct. 2025
While the Earth system is unfathomably complex, Mills has been able to reproduce the broad trajectory of our climate over the ages by turning just four knobs — each of which modulates the carbon dioxide budget.
—Peter Brannen, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
That’s a big deal because plate tectonics is our master story for how Earth recycles rock, drives volcanism and mountain-building, and modulates climate over geologic time.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 11 Sep. 2025
These scenes are some of the strongest, as Pellerin impressively modulates Matthew’s turn from endearingly cringey to terrifyingly single-minded.
—Eric Torres, Pitchfork, 27 Aug. 2025
Coating the film with transparent electrodes enabled them to excite the crystal, setting up an acoustic standing wave that modulates the intensity of light passing through it.
—IEEE Spectrum, 21 Apr. 2022
K.j.s. “sunny” Anand, Time, 15 Oct. 2025
While the Earth system is unfathomably complex, Mills has been able to reproduce the broad trajectory of our climate over the ages by turning just four knobs — each of which modulates the carbon dioxide budget.
—Peter Brannen, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
That’s a big deal because plate tectonics is our master story for how Earth recycles rock, drives volcanism and mountain-building, and modulates climate over geologic time.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 11 Sep. 2025
These scenes are some of the strongest, as Pellerin impressively modulates Matthew’s turn from endearingly cringey to terrifyingly single-minded.
—Eric Torres, Pitchfork, 27 Aug. 2025
Coating the film with transparent electrodes enabled them to excite the crystal, setting up an acoustic standing wave that modulates the intensity of light passing through it.
—IEEE Spectrum, 21 Apr. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for modulates
Verb
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Under Oregon law, the Oregon State Lottery, which regulates sports betting in the state, is not supposed to let DraftKings offer iGaming.—
Dan Bernstein,
Sportico.com,
30 Mar. 2026
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Type 1 diabetes is a chronic autoimmune condition in which the body doesn’t produce enough insulin, a hormone produced in the pancreas that regulates blood sugar.—
Madison Dapcevich,
Outside,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In recent years, Ticketmaster has adopted dynamic pricing—a system that adjusts ticket prices in real time according to demand.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
-
In Sleep mode, the purifier runs at a low fan speed to reduce noise, while Auto mode adjusts the fan speed based on air quality.—
John R. Delaney,
PC Magazine,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In this scenario, stripped of high-paying salaries, prime borrowers default and tank the $13 trillion residential mortgage market, unemployment spikes above 10%, the stock market corrects down 38%, and the economy collapses into a deflationary spiral.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
28 Feb. 2026
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The answer is a combination of ingredients that corrects, prevents, and protects—not to mention the affordable price point.—
Erika Reals,
InStyle,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Once soil health improves, many gardeners find that digging individual planting holes is sufficient for establishing crops.—
Anthony Reardon,
Kansas City Star,
4 Apr. 2026
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That said, judgments can remain valid for years and may be renewed, so if your financial situation improves later, creditors could attempt to collect at that time.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Modulates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/modulates. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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