modify

/ˌmɑdəˈfaɪ/

/ˈmɒdɪfaɪ/

Other forms: modified; modifying; modifies

To modify is to change or transform, but only slightly. If you miss your free-throws half the time, your coach will probably try to improve your shooting average by modifying your technique.

Modify may mean to alter something, but it's not a total makeover. When you modify or make modifications, you're making subtle changes. These tweaks are usually needed to make improvements or make the thing being modified less extreme. So you can modify your voice if your tone is too harsh, or modify your wardrobe with a few new pairs of cool shoes.

Definitions of modify

1. verb

   cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
   synonyms: alter, change

   types:

   arouse, awaken, rouse, wake, wake up, waken

   cause to become awake or conscious

   cause to sleep

   make fall asleep

   affect

   act physically on; have an effect upon

   freshen, refresh, refreshen

   make fresh again

   fecundate, fertilise, fertilize, inseminate

   introduce semen into (a female)

   indispose

   cause to feel unwell

   cry

   bring into a particular state by crying

   etiolate

   make pale or sickly

   shade

   vary slightly

   animalise, animalize, brutalise, brutalize

   make brutal, unfeeling, or inhuman

   convert

   change the nature, purpose, or function of something

   opalise, opalize

   make opalescent

   arterialise, arterialize

   change venous blood into arterial blood

   get, make

   give certain properties to something

   counterchange, interchange, transpose

   cause to change places

   vascularise, vascularize

   make vascular

   decrepitate

   to roast or calcine so as to cause to crackle or until crackling stops

   suburbanise, suburbanize

   make suburban in character

   overturn, revolutionise, revolutionize

   change radically

   etiolate

   bleach and alter the natural development of (a green plant) by excluding sunlight

   barbarise, barbarize

   make crude or savage in behavior or speech

   alkalinise, alkalinize

   make (a substance) alkaline

   mythicise, mythicize, mythologise, mythologize

   make into a myth

   allegorise, allegorize

   make into an allegory

   demythologise, demythologize

   remove the mythical element from (writings)

   bring, land

   bring into a different state

   coarsen

   make less subtle or refined

   affect, bear on, bear upon, impact, touch, touch on

   have an effect upon

   alchemise, alchemize

   alter (elements) by alchemy

   alcoholise, alcoholize

   make alcoholic, as by fermenting

   form, shape

   give shape or form to

   round, round down, round off, round out

   express as a round number

   suspend

   cause to be held in suspension in a fluid

   sober

   cause to become sober

   reconstruct

   cause somebody to adapt or reform socially or politically

   increase

   make bigger or more

   ease off, ease up, let up

   reduce pressure or intensity

   assimilate

   make similar

   dissimilate

   make dissimilar; cause to become less similar

   commute, convert, exchange

   exchange a penalty for a less severe one

   vitalise, vitalize

   give life to

   clear, unclutter

   rid of obstructions

   activate

   make active or more active

   activate

   make (substances) radioactive

   activate, aerate

   aerate (sewage) so as to favor the growth of organisms that decompose organic matter

   activate

   make more adsorptive

   deactivate, inactivate

   make inactive

   blunt, deaden, zombify

   make less lively, intense, or vigorous; impair in vigor, force, activity, or sensation

   reconstruct, redo, remodel

   do over, as of (part of) a house

   edit, redact

   prepare for publication or presentation by correcting, revising, or adapting

   cut, edit, edit out

   cut and assemble the components of

   chasten, subdue, tame

   correct by punishment or discipline

   chasten, moderate, temper

   restrain

   ameliorate, amend, better, improve, meliorate

   make better

   aggravate, exacerbate, exasperate, worsen

   make worse

   wet

   cause to become wet

   dry, dry out

   remove the moisture from and make dry

   lubricate

   make slippery or smooth through the application of a lubricant

   beef up, fortify, strengthen

   make strong or stronger

   fortify, lace, spike

   add alcohol to (beverages)

   nerf, weaken

   lessen the strength of

   blunt

   make less sharp

   oxidate, oxidise, oxidize

   add oxygen to or combine with oxygen

   merge, unify, unite

   join or combine

   age

   make older

   mature, ripen

   cause to ripen or develop fully

   antiquate, antique

   give an antique appearance to

   antiquate

   make obsolete or old-fashioned

   develop, make grow

   cause to grow and differentiate in ways conforming to its natural development

   soften

   make soft or softer

   damage

   inflict damage upon

   ossify

   cause to become hard and bony

   acerbate

   make sour or bitter

   stabilise, stabilize

   make stable and keep from fluctuating or put into an equilibrium

   destabilise, destabilize

   make unstable

   sensibilise, sensibilize, sensify, sensitise, sensitize

   make sensitive or aware

   desensitise, desensitize

   make insensitive

   accustom, habituate

   make psychologically or physically used (to something)

   disarray, disorder

   bring disorder to

   discolor, discolour

   cause to lose or change color

   color, color in, colorise, colorize, colour, colour in, colourise, colourize

   add color to

   stain

   produce or leave stains

   hue

   take on color or become colored

   uglify

   make ugly

   untune

   cause to be out of tune

   adjust, correct, set

   alter or regulate so as to achieve accuracy or conform to a standard

   set

   put into a certain state; cause to be in a certain state

   disqualify, indispose, unfit

   make unfit or unsuitable

   domesticate, domesticise, domesticize, reclaim, tame

   overcome the wildness of; make docile and tractable

   widen

   make wider

   dehydrogenate

   remove hydrogen from

   hydrogenate

   combine or treat with or expose to hydrogen; add hydrogen to the molecule of (an unsaturated organic compound)

   oxygenise, oxygenize

   change (a compound) by increasing the proportion of the electronegative part; or change (an element or ion) from a lower to a higher positive valence: remove one or more electrons from (an atom, ion, or molecule)

   darken

   make dark or darker

   brighten, lighten, lighten up

   make lighter or brighter

   blear, blur

   make dim or indistinct

   bedim, obscure, overcloud

   make obscure or unclear

   blot out, hide, obliterate, obscure, veil

   make undecipherable or imperceptible by obscuring or concealing

   cook

   transform by heating

   slenderise, slenderize

   make slender or appear to be slender

   crack

   cause to become cracked

   dismiss, dissolve

   declare void

   end, terminate

   bring to an end or halt

   defog, demist

   free from mist

   concentrate, condense, contract

   compress or concentrate

   chill, cool, cool down

   make cool or cooler

   heat, heat up

   make hot or hotter

   warm

   make warm or warmer

   boil

   bring to, or maintain at, the boiling point

   freeze

   cause to freeze

   blister

   cause blisters to form on

   change over, shift, switch

   make a shift in or exchange of

   transpose

   change key

   change over, convert

   change from one system to another or to a new plan or policy

   transform

   increase or decrease (an alternating current or voltage)

   transform

   change (a bacterial cell) into a genetically distinct cell by the introduction of DNA from another cell of the same or closely related species

   transform

   convert (one form of energy) to another

   transmute

   alter the nature of (elements)

   transform, transmute, transubstantiate

   change or alter in form, appearance, or nature

   ash

   convert into ashes

   transform, translate

   change from one form or medium into another

   reclaim, rectify, reform, regenerate

   bring, lead, or force to abandon a wrong or evil course of life, conduct, and adopt a right one

   convert

   cause to adopt a new or different faith

   Islamise, Islamize

   cause to conform to Islamic law

   invert, reverse, turn back

   turn inside out or upside down

   invert

   make an inversion (in a musical composition)

   customise, customize

   make according to requirements

   individualise, individualize, personalise, personalize

   make personal or more personal

   depersonalise, depersonalize, objectify, objectivize

   treat or regard as a thing, rather than as a person

   sharpen

   raise the pitch of (musical notes)

   drop, flatten

   lower the pitch of (musical notes)

   disintegrate

   cause to undergo fission or lose particles

   magnetise, magnetize

   make magnetic

   degauss, demagnetise, demagnetize

   make nonmagnetic; take away the magnetic properties (of)

   simplify

   make simpler or easier or reduce in complexity or extent

   complicate, elaborate, rarify, refine

   make more complex, intricate, or richer

   refine

   make more precise or increase the discriminatory powers of

   complicate, perplex

   make more complicated

   pressurise, pressurize, supercharge

   increase the pressure on a gas or liquid

   centralise, centralize, concentrate

   concentrate legal power in one main governmental authority

   decentralise, decentralize, deconcentrate

   make less central

   socialise, socialize

   make conform to socialist ideas and philosophies

   fix, gear up, prepare, ready, set, set up

   make ready or suitable or equip in advance for a particular purpose or for some use, event, etc

   internationalise, internationalize

   make international in character

   bolshevise, bolshevize, communise, communize

   make Communist or bring in accord with Communist principles

   Europeanise, Europeanize

   make (continental) European in customs, character, or ideas

   Europeanise, Europeanize

   denationalize and subject (a territory) to the supervision of an agency of a European community of nations

   bestialise, bestialize

   make brutal and depraved; give animal-like qualities to

   Americanise, Americanize

   make American in character

   Frenchify

   make French in appearance or character

   civilise, civilize

   raise from a barbaric to a civilized state

   nationalise, nationalize

   put under state control or ownership

   denationalise, denationalize

   put under private control or ownership

   naturalise, naturalize

   make into a citizen

   denaturalise, denaturalize

   strip of the rights and duties of citizenship

   naturalise, naturalize

   make more natural or lifelike

   denaturalise, denaturalize

   make less natural or unnatural

   even, even out

   become even or more even

   equal, equalise, equalize, equate, match

   make equal, uniform, corresponding, or matching

   stiffen

   make stiff or stiffer

   loose, loosen

   make loose or looser

   fasten, tighten

   make tight or tighter

   transitivise, transitivize

   make transitive

   detransitivise, detransitivize, intransitivise, intransitivize

   intransitivize

   inspissate, thicken

   make thick or thicker

   full

   make (a garment) fuller by pleating or gathering

   diversify

   make (more) diverse

   decelerate, slow down

   reduce the speed of

   deaden

   make vapid or deprive of spirit

   accelerate, speed, speed up

   cause to move faster

   check, delay, retard

   slow the growth or development of

   decrease, lessen, minify

   make smaller

   liquefy, liquidise, liquidize, liquify

   make (a solid substance) liquid, as by heating

   solvate

   cause a solvation in (a substance)

   dissolve

   cause to fade away

   validate

   make valid or confirm the validity of

   invalidate, vitiate, void

   take away the legal force of or render ineffective

   empty

   make void or empty of contents

   fill, fill up, make full

   make full, also in a metaphorical sense

   saturate

   cause (a chemical compound, vapour, solution, magnetic material) to unite with the greatest possible amount of another substance

   clot, coagulate

   cause to change from a liquid to a solid or thickened state

   louden

   cause to become loud

   normalise, normalize, renormalise, renormalize

   make normal or cause to conform to a norm or standard

   morph

   cause to change shape in a computer animation

   neutralise, neutralize

   make chemically neutral

   commercialise, commercialize, market

   make commercial

   purge, purify, sanctify

   make pure or free from sin or guilt

   mechanise, mechanize

   make mechanical

   automate, automatise, automatize

   make automatic or control or operate automatically

   automatise, automatize

   turn into an automaton

   mechanise, mechanize

   make monotonous; make automatic or routine

   chord, harmonise, harmonize

   bring into consonance, harmony, or accord while making music or singing

   polarise, polarize

   cause to vibrate in a definite pattern

   glorify

   bestow glory upon

   contaminate

   make radioactive by adding radioactive material

   devalue

   lower the value or quality of

   insulate

   protect from heat, cold, or noise by surrounding with insulating material

   calcify

   convert into lime

   urbanise, urbanize

   make more industrial or city-like

   urbanise, urbanize

   impart urban habits, ways of life, or responsibilities upon

   emulsify

   thoroughly combine liquids that do not normally stay mixed

   demulsify

   cause to demulsify

   decarboxylate

   remove a carboxyl group from (a chemical compound)

   nazify

   cause or force to adopt Nazism or a Nazi character

   fecundate, fertilise, fertilize

   make fertile or productive

   clarify

   make clear by removing impurities or solids, as by heating

   embrittle

   make brittle

   mark

   make or leave a mark on

   nick

   divide or reset the tail muscles of

   disable, disenable, incapacitate

   make unable to perform a certain action

   enable

   render capable or able for some task

   de-emphasise, de-emphasize, destress

   reduce the emphasis

   tender, tenderise, tenderize

   make tender or more tender as by marinating, pounding, or applying a tenderizer

   charge

   cause formation of a net electrical charge in or on

   bubble

   cause to form bubbles

   sweeten

   make sweeter, more pleasant, or more agreeable

   iodinate

   cause to combine with iodine

   ionate

   add ions to

   archaise, archaize

   give an archaic appearance of character to

   inform

   give character or essence to

   officialise, officialize

   make official

   occidentalise, occidentalize, westernise, westernize

   make western in character

   orientalise, orientalize

   make oriental in character

   acetylate, acetylise, acetylize

   introduce an acetyl group into (a chemical compound)

   achromatise, achromatize

   remove color from

   collimate, parallel

   make or place parallel to something

   camp

   give an artificially banal or sexual quality to

   classicise, classicize

   make classic or classical

   conventionalise, conventionalize

   make conventional or adapt to conventions

   decimalise, decimalize

   change from fractions to decimals

   dizzy

   make dizzy or giddy

   envenom, poison

   add poison to

   exteriorise, exteriorize, externalise, externalize, objectify, objectivize

   give reality to; represent in concrete form

   glamorise, glamorize, glamourise, glamourize

   make glamorous and attractive

   introvert

   turn inside

   laicise, laicize

   reduce to lay status

   politicise, politicize

   give a political character to

   radicalize

   make more radical in social or political outlook

   proof

   activate by mixing with water and sometimes sugar or milk

   romanticise, romanticize

   make romantic in style

   rusticate

   lend a rustic character to

   sauce

   add zest or flavor to, make more interesting

   shallow, shoal

   make shallow

   tense

   increase the tension on

   steepen

   make steeper

   scramble

   make unintelligible

   unscramble

   make intelligible

   unsex

   remove the qualities typical of one's sex

   vitrify

   change into glass or a glass-like substance by applying heat

   pall

   cause to become flat

   saponify

   convert into soap by hydrolizing an ester into an acid and alcohol as a result of treating it with an alkali

   expand, extend

   expand the influence of

   set aside, suspend

   make inoperative or stop

   muddy

   make turbid

   transform

   subject to a mathematical transformation

   elevate, lift, raise

   raise in rank or condition

   harshen

   make harsh or harsher

   dinge

   make dingy

   demonise, demonize

   make into a demon

   devilise, devilize, diabolise, diabolize

   turn into a devil or make devilish

   etherealize, etherialise

   make ethereal

   immaterialise, immaterialize, unsubstantialise, unsubstantialize

   render immaterial or incorporeal

   animate, animise, animize

   give lifelike qualities to

   clear

   make clear, bright, light, or translucent

   dynamise, dynamize

   make (a drug) effective

   dynamise, dynamize

   make more dynamic

   rarefy, sublimate, subtilize

   make more subtle or refined

   volatilise, volatilize

   make volatile; cause to pass off in a vapor

   uniformise, uniformize

   make uniform

   symmetrise, symmetrize

   make symmetric

   eternalise, eternalize, eternise, eternize, immortalise, immortalize

   make famous forever

   denature

   make (alcohol) unfit for drinking without impairing usefulness for other purposes

   denature

   modify (as a native protein) especially by heat, acid, alkali, or ultraviolet radiation so that all of the original properties are removed or diminished

   denature

   add nonfissionable material to (fissionable material) so as to make unsuitable for use in an atomic bomb

   sanitise, sanitize

   make less offensive or more acceptable by removing objectionable features

   verbify

   make into a verb

   shift

   move from one setting or context to another

   sputter

   cause to undergo a process in which atoms are removed

   draw

   bring or lead someone to a certain action or condition

   make

   change from one form into another

   dope

   add impurities to (a semiconductor) in order to produce or modify its properties

   prostrate

   render helpless or defenseless

   excite

   produce a magnetic field in

   energise, energize, excite

   raise to a higher energy level

   shake

   bring to a specified condition by or as if by shaking

   outmode

   make unfashionable, outdated, or obsolete

   spice, spice up

   make more interesting or flavorful

   shorten

   make short or shorter

   think

   bring into a given condition by mental preoccupation

   make

   cause to be enjoyable or pleasurable

   deflate

   produce deflation in

   inflate

   cause prices to rise by increasing the available currency or credit

   reflate

   economics: raise demand, expand the money supply, or raise prices, after a period of deflation

   digitalise, digitalize, digitise, digitize

   put into digital form, as for use in a computer

   gelatinise, gelatinize

   convert into gelatinous form or jelly

   recombine

   cause genetic recombination

   effeminise, effeminize, feminise, feminize, womanize

   to give a (more) feminine, effeminate, or womanly quality or appearance to

   masculinise, masculinize, virilise, virilize

   produce virilism in or cause to assume masculine characteristics, as through a hormonal imbalance or hormone therapy

   masculinize

   give a masculine appearance or character to

   disharmonize, dissonate

   cause to sound harsh and unpleasant

   sexualise, sexualize

   make sexual, endow with sex, attribute sex to

   schematise, schematize

   give conventional form to

   patent

   make open to sight or notice

   constitutionalise, constitutionalize

   incorporate into a constitution, make constitutional

   rationalise, rationalize

   remove irrational quantities from

   plasticise, plasticize

   make plastic, as by the addition of a plasticizer

   rarefy

   lessen the density or solidity of

   paganise, paganize

   make pagan in character

   incandesce

   cause to become incandescent or glow

   deaminate, deaminize

   remove the amino radical (usually by hydrolysis) from an amino compound; to perform deamination

   angulate

   make or become angular

   circularise, circularize

   make circular

   sensitise, sensitize

   make (a material) sensitive to light, often of a particular colour, by coating it with a photographic emulsion

   sensitise, sensitize

   make sensitive to a drug or allergen

   depolarise, depolarize

   eliminate the polarization of

   intensify

   make the chemically affected part of (a negative) denser or more opaque in order produce a stronger contrast between light and dark

   isomerise, isomerize

   cause to change into an isomer

   legitimate

   make (an illegitimate child) legitimate; declare the legitimacy of (someone)

   evaporate, vaporise

   cause to change into a vapor

   industrialise, industrialize

   organize (the production of something) into an industry

   opacify

   make opaque

   opsonize

   make (cells) more susceptible to the action of phagocytes

   militarise, militarize

   adopt for military use

   nationalise, nationalize

   make national in character or scope

   recommend

   make attractive or acceptable

   sentimentalise, sentimentalize

   make (someone or something) sentimental or imbue with sentimental qualities

   solemnise, solemnize

   make solemn and grave

   territorialise, territorialize

   place on a territorial basis

   transaminate

   change (an amino group) by transferring it from one compound to another

   glorify, spiritualize, transfigure

   elevate or idealize, in allusion to Christ's transfiguration

   unsanctify

   remove the sanctification from or make unsanctified

   vesiculate

   cause to become vesicular or full of air cells

   visualise, visualize

   make visible

   variegate

   change the appearance of, especially by marking with different colors

   ventilate

   furnish with an opening to allow air to circulate or gas to escape

   vivify

   make more striking or animated

   vulgarise, vulgarize

   debase and make vulgar

   supple

   make pliant and flexible

   professionalise, professionalize

   make professional or give a professional character to

   smut

   make obscene

   still

   make motionless

   weaponize

   make into or use as a weapon or a potential weapon

   eroticize, sex up

   give erotic character to or make more interesting

   piggyback

   bring into alignment with

   port

   modify (software) for use on a different machine or platform

   lifehack

   make one's day-to-day activities more efficient

   cloud

   make less clear

   blur, confuse, obnubilate, obscure

   make unclear, indistinct, or blurred

   moderate, tame, tone down

   make less strong or intense; soften

   obfuscate

   make obscure or unclear

   synchronise, synchronize

   make (motion picture sound) exactly simultaneous with the action

   mince, moderate, soften

   make less severe or harsh

   militarise, militarize

   lend a military character to (a country), as by building up a military force

   break down, crush

   make ineffective

   fat, fatten, fatten out, fatten up, fill out, flesh out, plump, plump out

   make fat or plump

   disturb, touch

   tamper with

   dull

   make dull in appearance

   blunt, dull

   make dull or blunt

   sharpen

   make sharp or sharper

   coarsen

   make or become coarse or coarser

   loosen

   make less dense

   loosen, undo, untie

   cause to become loose

   barb

   provide with barbs

   string

   provide with strings

   straighten, straighten out

   make straight

   bring

   cause to come into a particular state or condition

   amalgamate, commix, mingle, mix, unify

   bring or combine together or with something else

   charge

   fill or load to capacity

   put

   cause to be in a certain state; cause to be in a certain relation

   clean, make clean

   make clean by removing dirt, filth, or unwanted substances from

   begrime, bemire, colly, dirty, grime, soil

   make soiled, filthy, or dirty

   depress, lower

   cause to drop or sink

   deform

   make formless

   break, break up

   destroy the completeness of a set of related items

   alter

   make an alteration to

   adorn, beautify, decorate, embellish, grace, ornament

   make more attractive by adding ornament, color, etc.

   humanise, humanize

   make more humane

   humble

   cause to be unpretentious

   alien, alienate, disaffect, estrange

   arouse hostility or indifference in where there had formerly been love, affection, or friendliness

   right

   put in or restore to an upright position

   desensitise, desensitize

   cause not to be sensitive

   deodorise, deodorize, deodourise

   eliminate the odor from

   develop

   make visible by means of chemical solutions

   blur

   make less distinct or clear

   blind

   make blind by putting the eyes out

   change intensity

   increase or decrease in intensity

   change taste

   alter the flavor of

   exchange, interchange, replace, substitute

   put in the place of another; switch seemingly equivalent items

   capture

   bring about the capture of an elementary particle or celestial body and causing it enter a new orbit

   add, bestow, bring, contribute, impart, lend

   bestow a quality on

   reestablish, reinstate, restore

   bring back into original existence, use, function, or position

   liberalise, liberalize

   make liberal or more liberal, of laws and rules

   compensate, correct, redress, right

   make reparations or amends for

   democratise, democratize

   introduce democratic reforms; of nations

   neutralize

   make politically neutral and thus inoffensive

   corrupt, debase, debauch, demoralise, demoralize, deprave, misdirect, pervert, profane, subvert, vitiate

   corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality

   loosen, relax

   make less severe or strict

   unify, unite

   bring together for a common purpose or action or ideology or in a shared situation

   flocculate

   cause to become a fluffy or lumpy aggregate

   turn

   cause to change or turn into something different;assume new characteristics

   cohere

   cause to form a united, orderly, and aesthetically consistent whole

   warp

   cause to become abnormal, unhealthy, or improper

   reawaken

   awaken once again

   attack

   begin to injure

   ulcerate

   affect with an ulcer

   bring around, bring back, bring round, bring to

   return to consciousness

   calm, sedate, tranquilize, tranquillise, tranquillize

   cause to be calm or quiet as by administering a sedative to

   arouse, brace, energise, energize, perk up, stimulate

   cause to be alert and energetic

   de-energise, de-energize

   deprive of energy

   strain, tense, tense up

   cause to be tense and uneasy or nervous or anxious

   loosen up, make relaxed, relax, unlax, unstrain, unwind

   cause to feel relaxed

   break

   weaken or destroy in spirit or body

   cramp

   affect with or as if with a cramp

   stratify

   render fertile and preserve by placing between layers of earth or sand

   bang up, impregnate

   make pregnant

   impregnate

   fertilize and cause to grow

   cross-fertilise, cross-fertilize

   cause to undergo cross-fertilization

   cross-pollinate, pollenate, pollinate

   fertilize by transfering pollen

   irritate

   excite to an abnormal condition, or chafe or inflame

   inflame

   cause inflammation in

   alleviate, assuage, palliate, relieve

   provide physical relief, as from pain

   hurt

   give trouble or pain to

   bind, constipate

   cause to be constipated

   fag, fag out, fatigue, jade, outwear, tire, tire out, wear, wear down, wear out, wear upon, weary

   exhaust or get tired through overuse or great strain or stress

   aid, help

   improve the condition of

   disinfect

   destroy microorganisms or pathogens by cleansing

   regenerate, revitalize

   restore strength

   jaundice

   affect with, or as if with, jaundice

   call

   rouse somebody from sleep with a call

   caramelise, caramelize

   convert to caramel

   rasterize

   convert (an image) into pixels

   humify

   convert (plant remains) into humus

   verbalise, verbalize

   convert into a verb

   sporulate

   convert into spores

   fictionalise, fictionalize, novelise, novelize

   convert into the form or the style of a novel

   deaden

   convert (metallic mercury) into a grey powder consisting of minute globules, as by shaking with chalk or fatty oil

   opalise, opalize

   replace or convert into opal

   receive

   convert into sounds or pictures

   reconvert

   convert back

   malt

   convert into malt

   malt

   convert grain into malt

   render

   cause to become

   get, have, let

   cause to move; cause to be in a certain position or condition

   carnalise, carnalize, sensualise, sensualize

   debase through carnal gratification

   strike a blow

   affect adversely

   repercuss

   cause repercussions; have an unwanted effect

   tell on

   produce an effect or strain on somebody

   redound

   have an effect for good or ill

   individuate

   give individual shape or form to

   tie

   form a knot or bow in

   terrace

   make into terraces as for cultivation

   fork

   shape like a fork

   tabulate

   shape or cut with a flat surface

   dimension

   shape or form to required dimensions

   roll

   shape by rolling

   draw

   flatten, stretch, or mold metal or glass, by rolling or by pulling it through a die or by stretching

   strike

   cause to form (an electric arc) between electrodes of an arc lamp

   crystalise, crystalize, crystallise, crystallize

   cause to take on a definite and clear shape

   twist

   form into twists

   sliver

   form into slivers

   ridge

   form into a ridge

   plume

   form a plume

   round, round off, round out

   make round

   scallop, scollop

   shape or cut in scallops

   square, square up

   make square

   resuspend

   put back into suspension

   proportion

   adjust in size relative to other things

   suppress

   reduce the incidence or severity of or stop

   extend, stretch

   increase in quantity or bulk by adding a cheaper substance

   augment

   enlarge or increase

   build up

   enlarge, develop, or increase by degrees or in stages

   enlarge

   make larger

   up

   raise

   raise

   raise the level or amount of something

   transduce

   cause transduction (of energy forms)

   vitalise, vitalize

   make more lively or vigorous

   ruggedise, ruggedize

   produce in a version designed to withstand rough usage

   devitalise, devitalize

   sap of life or energy

   shake

   undermine or cause to waver

   modulate

   adjust the pitch, tone, or volume of

   enrich

   make better or improve in quality

   build up, develop

   change the use of and make available or usable

   bail

   empty (a vessel) by bailing

   clutter, clutter up

   fill a space in a disorderly way

   clog, overload

   fill to excess so that function is impaired

   brim

   fill as much as possible

   reactivate

   put in motion again

   obtund

   reduce the edge or violence of

   petrify

   cause to become stonelike or stiff or dazed and stunned

   burn

   burn with heat, fire, or radiation

   frost

   damage by frost

   moderate

   make less fast or intense

   mitigate

   make less severe or harsh

   alter, falsify, interpolate

   insert words into text, often falsifying it thereby

   cut up, hack

   significantly cut up a manuscript

   black out

   suppress by censorship as for political reasons

   blank out

   cut out, as for political reasons

   break, break in

   make submissive, obedient, or useful

   turn around

   improve dramatically

   help

   improve; change for the better

   upgrade

   improve what was old or outdated

   condition

   put into a better state

   cheapen, degrade

   lower the grade of something; reduce its worth

   emend

   make improvements or corrections to

   iron out, put right, straighten out

   settle or put right

   dehydrate, desiccate, dry up, exsiccate

   lose water or moisture

   dehydrate, desiccate

   remove water from

   bedew

   cover with drops of dew or as with dew

   spin-dry

   dry (clothes) by spinning and making use of centrifugal forces

   tumble dry

   dry by spinning with hot air inside a cylinder

   spray-dry

   dry by bringing into the form of a spray, through contact with a hot gas

   dehumidify

   make less humid

   douse, dowse, drench, soak, sop, souse

   cover with liquid; pour liquid onto

   dampen, moisten, wash

   make moist

   parch, sear

   cause to wither or parch from exposure to heat

   rough-dry

   dry without smoothing or ironing

   blow-dry

   dry hair with a hair dryer

   drip-dry

   dry by hanging up wet

   substantiate

   solidify, firm, or strengthen

   restrengthen

   make strong again

   brace up, undergird

   make secure underneath

   confirm

   make more firm

   reenforce, reinforce

   make stronger

   buttress

   make stronger or defensible

   depress

   lessen the activity or force of

   unbrace

   remove a brace or braces from

   etiolate

   make weak by stunting the growth or development of

   cripple, stultify

   deprive of strength or efficiency; make useless or worthless

   cut, dilute, reduce, thin, thin out

   lessen the strength or flavor of a solution or mixture

   attenuate, rarefy

   weaken the consistency of (a chemical substance)

   blunt

   make less intense

   irrigate, water

   supply with water, as with channels or ditches or streams

   besprinkle, sparge, sprinkle

   scatter with liquid; wet lightly

   enhance

   make better or more attractive

   pare, pare down

   decrease gradually or bit by bit

   circumscribe, confine, limit

   restrict or confine

   boil down, concentrate, reduce

   cook until very little liquid is left

   catabolise, catabolize

   subject to catabolism

   breathe

   reach full flavor by absorbing air and being let to stand after having been uncorked

   blow up, enlarge, magnify

   make large

   reduce, shrink

   reduce in size; reduce physically

   reduce

   make less complex

   consolidate

   bring together into a single whole or system

   weld

   unite closely or intimately

   consubstantiate

   unite in one common substance

   abbreviate, abridge, contract, cut, foreshorten, reduce, shorten

   reduce in scope while retaining essential elements

   abate, slack, slake

   make less active or intense

   grow

   cause to grow or develop

   manifold, multiply

   combine or increase by multiplication

   work out, work up

   come up with

   elaborate, work out

   work out in detail

   build, build up, ramp up, work up

   bolster or strengthen

   mellow

   soften, make mellow

   mollify

   make softer or less rigid

   bilge

   cause to leak

   break

   render inoperable or ineffective

   total

   damage beyond the point of repair

   bruise

   damage (plant tissue) by abrasion or pressure

   disturb

   damage as if by shaking or jarring

   afflict, smite

   cause physical pain or suffering in

   blight, hurt, injure

   cause damage or affect negatively

   bushel, doctor, fix, furbish up, mend, repair, restore, touch on

   restore by replacing a part or putting together what is torn or broken

   impair

   make worse or less effective

   blemish, flaw

   add a flaw or blemish to; make imperfect or defective

   dish

   make concave; shape like a dish

   amplify, blow up, expand, inflate

   exaggerate or make bigger

   reform

   make changes for improvement in order to remove abuse and injustices

   reform

   improve by alteration or correction of errors or defects and put into a better condition

   lour, lower, turn down

   make lower or quieter

   paralyse, paralyze

   make powerless and unable to function

   peg

   stabilize (the price of a commodity or an exchange rate) by legislation or market operations

   harden, indurate, inure

   cause to accept or become hardened to; habituate

   teach

   accustom gradually to some action or attitude

   corrode, eat, rust

   cause to deteriorate due to the action of water, air, or an acid

   eat away, erode, fret

   remove soil or rock

   mess, mess up

   make a mess of or create disorder in

   derange, perturb, throw out of kilter

   throw into great confusion or disorder

   disarrange

   disturb the arrangement of

   bleach, bleach out, decolor, decolorise, decolorize, decolour, decolourise, decolourize, discolorise, discolorize, discolourise

   remove color from

   blackwash

   color with blackwash

   sallow

   cause to become sallow

   wash out

   drain off the color in the course of laundering

   foliate

   grow leaves

   motley, parti-color

   make motley; color with different colors

   polychrome, polychromise, polychromize

   color with many colors; make polychrome

   azure

   color a light shade of blue

   empurple, purple, purpurate

   color purple

   aurify

   turn golden

   verdigris

   color verdigris

   pinkify

   make pink

   incarnadine

   make flesh-colored

   brown, embrown

   make brown in color

   handcolor, handcolour

   color by hand

   smut

   stain with a dirty substance, such as soot

   tinct, tinge, tint, touch

   color lightly

   pigment

   color or dye with a pigment

   pigment

   acquire pigment; become colored or imbued

   hue, imbue

   suffuse with color

   retouch

   give retouches to (hair)

   silver

   make silver in color

   gray, grey

   make grey

   tone

   change to a color image

   escalate, intensify, step up

   increase in extent or intensity

   de-escalate, step down, weaken

   reduce the level or intensity or size or scope of

   cut up, mangle, mutilate

   destroy or injure severely

   beautify, embellish, fancify, prettify

   make more beautiful

   mollify, season, temper

   make more temperate, acceptable, or suitable by adding something else; moderate

   temper

   adjust the pitch (of pianos)

   tune, tune up

   adjust the pitches of (musical instruments)

   calibrate, fine-tune, graduate

   make fine adjustments or divide into marked intervals for optimal measuring

   tune, tune up

   adjust for (better) functioning

   time

   adjust so that a force is applied and an action occurs at the desired time

   trim

   adjust (sails on a ship) so that the wind is optimally used

   zero, zero in

   adjust (as by firing under test conditions) the zero of (a gun)

   zero

   adjust (an instrument or device) to zero value

   readjust, reset

   adjust again after an initial failure

   attune

   adjust or accustom to; bring into harmony with

   time

   regulate or set the time of

   pitch

   set to a certain pitch

   set

   set to a certain position or cause to operate correctly

   keynote

   set the keynote of

   modulate, regulate

   fix or adjust the time, amount, degree, or rate of

   fit

   make fit

   white out

   widen the interlinear spacing by inserting leads

   oxygenise, oxygenize

   dehydrogenate with oxygen

   boost

   give a boost to; be beneficial to

   infuscate

   darken with a brownish tinge, as of insect wings

   embrown

   cause to darken

   murk

   make dark, dim, or gloomy

   dun

   make a dun color

   blind, dim

   make dim by comparison or conceal

   dim

   make dim or lusterless

   bedim, benight

   make darker and difficult to perceive by sight

   focalise, focalize, focus, sharpen

   put (an image) into focus

   depreciate

   lower the value of something

   elongate, lengthen

   make longer

   farce, stuff

   fill with a stuffing while cooking

   feudalize

   bring (a country or people) under feudalism

   stuff

   fill tightly with a material

   bolster, pad

   add padding to

   crisp, crispen, toast

   make brown and crisp by heating

   shatter

   damage or destroy

   check, chink

   make cracks or chinks in

   fissure

   break into fissures or fine cracks

   close out

   terminate

   finish

   cause to finish a relationship with somebody

   abort

   terminate before completion

   culminate

   bring to a head or to the highest point

   lift, raise

   put an end to

   ax, axe

   terminate

   kill, stamp out

   end or extinguish by forceful means

   break up, dissolve

   come to an end

   break up, dissolve

   bring the association of to an end or cause to break up

   break, break off, discontinue, stop

   prevent completion

   break, interrupt

   terminate

   pervaporate

   cause (a liquid) to evaporate through a semipermeable membrane

   quench

   cool (hot metal) by plunging into cold water or other liquid

   ice

   put ice on or put on ice

   refrigerate

   cool or chill in or as if in a refrigerator

   scald

   heat to the boiling point

   soak

   heat a metal prior to working it

   calcine

   heat a substance so that it oxidizes or reduces

   preheat

   heat beforehand

   overheat

   make excessively or undesirably hot

   chafe

   warm by rubbing, as with the hands

   decoct

   extract the essence of something by boiling it

   deep freeze

   store in a deep-freeze, as for conservation

   ice

   cause to become ice or icy

   flash-freeze, quick-freeze

   freeze rapidly so as to preserve the natural juices and flavors

   scorch, sear

   make very hot and dry

   metricate, metricise, metricize, metrify

   convert from a non-metric to the metric system

   flour

   convert grain into flour

   transubstantiate

   change (the Eucharist bread and wine) into the body and blood of Christ

   sorcerise, sorcerize

   transform or change by means of sorcery

   metricise, metricize

   express in the metric system

   reclaim

   make useful again; transform from a useless or uncultivated state

   moralise, moralize

   improve the morals of

   regenerate

   amplify (an electron current) by causing part of the power in the output circuit to act upon the input circuit

   Islamise, Islamize

   convert to Islam

   Christianise, Christianize

   convert to Christianity

   evangelise, evangelize

   convert to Christianity

   catholicise, catholicize, latinise, latinize

   cause to adopt Catholicism

   debilitate, drain, enfeeble

   make weak

   enervate

   weaken physically, mentally, or morally

   break, damp, dampen, dilute, soften, weaken

   lessen in force or effect

   dampen

   check; keep in check (a fire)

   dampen

   reduce the amplitude (of oscillations or waves)

   strap

   sharpen with a strap

   sync, synchronise, synchronize

   make synchronous and adjust in time or manner

   macerate

   soften, usually by steeping in liquid, and cause to disintegrate as a result

   oversimplify

   make too simple

   complexify

   make complex

   involve

   make complex or intricate or complicated

   develop

   elaborate by the unfolding of a musical idea and by the working out of the rhythmic and harmonic changes in the theme

   sophisticate

   make more complex or refined

   embrangle, snarl, snarl up

   make more complicated or confused through entanglements

   pressurise, pressurize

   increase the pressure in or of

   decompress, depressurise, depressurize

   decrease the pressure of

   socialise, socialize

   prepare for social life

   provide

   take measures in preparation for

   cram

   prepare (students) hastily for an impending exam

   precondition

   put into the required condition beforehand

   fix

   kill, preserve, and harden (tissue) in order to prepare for microscopic study

   mount

   fix onto a backing, setting, or support

   lay out, set, set up

   get ready for a particular purpose or event

   winterise, winterize

   prepare for winter

   summerise, summerize

   prepare for summer

   prime

   insert a primer into (a gun, mine, or charge) preparatory to detonation or firing

   communise, communize

   make into property owned by the state

   privatise, privatize

   change from governmental to private control or ownership

   homologise, homologize

   make homologous

   starch

   stiffen with starch

   buckram

   stiffen with or as with buckram

   ossify, petrify, rigidify

   make rigid and set into a conventional pattern

   relax, unbend

   make less taut

   frap

   take up the slack of

   firm, tauten

   make taut or tauter

   remit, slacken

   make slack as by lessening tension or firmness

   minimise, minimize

   make small or insignificant

   maximise, maximize

   make as big or large as possible

   bring down, cut, cut back, cut down, reduce, trim, trim back, trim down

   cut down on; make a reduction in

   cut

   have a reducing effect

   heighten

   make more extreme; raise in quantity, degree, or intensity

   heighten, rise

   become more extreme

   motley, variegate, vary

   make something more diverse and varied

   retard

   cause to move more slowly or operate at a slower rate

   fishtail

   slow down by moving the tail sideways

   rev, rev up

   increase the number of rotations per minute

   rev up, step up

   speed up

   relax, slack, slack up, slacken

   make less active or fast

   belittle, diminish

   lessen the authority, dignity, or reputation of

   build

   improve the cleansing action of

   etch

   selectively dissolve the surface of (a semiconductor or printed circuit) with a solvent, laser, or stream of electrons

   clean out, clear out

   empty completely

   bleed

   drain of liquid or steam

   evacuate

   empty completely

   evacuate

   create a vacuum in (a bulb, flask, reaction vessel)

   eviscerate

   remove the contents of

   void

   clear (a room, house, place) of occupants or empty or clear (a place or receptacle) of something

   clear

   remove the occupants of

   clear

   rid of instructions or data

   exhaust

   use up the whole supply of

   knock out

   empty (as of tobacco) by knocking out

   populate

   fill with inhabitants

   drain

   empty of liquid; drain the liquid from

   top off

   fill to the point of almost overflowing

   heap

   fill to overflow

   overfill

   fill beyond capacity

   ink

   fill with ink

   fill again, refill, replenish

   fill something that had previously been emptied

   prime

   fill with priming liquid

   line

   fill plentifully

   complete

   bring to a whole, with all the necessary parts or elements

   fit, match

   make correspond or harmonize

   homogenise, homogenize

   cause to become equal or homogeneous as by mixing

   ferment, work

   cause to undergo fermentation

   delay, detain, stay

   stop or halt

   flatten

   make flat or flatter

   plumb

   adjust with a plumb line so as to make vertical

   align, coordinate, ordinate

   bring (components or parts) into proper or desirable coordination correlation

   negate, neutralise, neutralize, nullify

   make ineffective by counterbalancing the effect of

   hone, perfect

   refine or make more perfect or effective

   down, fine-tune, polish, refine

   improve or perfect by pruning or polishing

   distill, make pure, purify, sublimate

   remove impurities from, increase the concentration of, and separate through the process of distillation

   spiritualise, spiritualize

   purify from the corrupting influences of the world

   lustrate

   purify by means of a ritual; also used in post-Communist countries to refer to the political cleansing of former officials

   deform, distort, strain

   alter the shape of (something) by stress

   blow

   shape by blowing

   block

   shape into a block or blocks

   block

   shape by using a block

   cup

   form into the shape of a cup

   deflower, impair, mar, spoil, vitiate

   make imperfect

   crush out, extinguish, press out, stub out

   extinguish by crushing

   dehumanise, dehumanize

   make mechanical or routine

   semi-automatise, semi-automatize

   make semiautomatic

   finalise, finalize, nail down, settle

   make final; put the last touches on; put into final form

   harmonise, harmonize, reconcile

   bring into consonance or accord

   key

   regulate the musical pitch of

   complete, finish

   come or bring to a finish or an end

   air

   expose to warm or heated air, so as to dry

   linearise, linearize

   make linear or get into a linear form

   justify

   adjust the spaces between words

   foul

   make unclean

   contaminate, foul, pollute

   make impure

   alloy, debase

   lower in value by increasing the base-metal content

   weatherstrip

   provide with weatherstripping

   soundproof

   insulate against noise

   advance, boost, supercharge

   increase or raise

   impregnate, saturate

   infuse or fill completely

   impregnate, infuse, instill, tincture

   fill, as with a certain quality

   citify

   accustom to urban ways

   excite, stimulate

   act as a stimulant

   federalise, federalize

   put under the control and authority of a federal government

   nitrify

   convert into nitric acid, nitrous acid, or nitrate, especially with the action of nitrobacteria

   devitrify

   make (glassy materials) brittle or opaque

   electrify

   charge (a conductor) with electricity

   fructify

   make productive or fruitful

   fossilise, fossilize

   convert to a fossil

   dot

   mark with a dot

   stigmatise, stigmatize

   mark with a stigma or stigmata

   raddle

   mark or paint with raddle

   striate

   mark with striae or striations

   ink

   mark, coat, cover, or stain with ink

   dimple

   mark with, or as if with, dimples

   spot

   mark with a spot or spots so as to allow easy recognition

   crisscross

   mark with a pattern of crossing lines

   asterisk, star

   mark with an asterisk

   flag

   provide with a flag

   tip

   mark with a tip

   tan

   treat skins and hides with tannic acid so as to convert them into leather

   dress

   convert into leather

   lay up

   disable or confine, as with an illness

   nobble

   disable by drugging

   pinion

   cut the wings off (of birds)

   equip

   provide with abilities or understanding

   process, treat

   subject to a process or treatment, with the aim of readying for some purpose, improving, or remedying a condition

   mystify

   make unclear

   upset

   disturb the balance or stability of

   diagonalise, diagonalize

   transform a matrix to a diagonal matrix

   closure, cloture

   terminate debate by calling for a vote

   compost

   convert to compost

   decimalise, decimalize

   change to the decimal system

   lour, lower

   set lower

   redden

   make red

   slack

   release tension on

   broaden, extend, widen

   extend in scope or range or area

   castrate, emasculate

   deprive of strength or vigor

   wash out

   deplete of strength or vitality

   bake, broil

   heat by a natural force

   reheat

   heat again

   dignify

   raise the status of

   exalt

   raise in rank, character, or status

   shift

   move and exchange for another

   lift, raise

   invigorate or heighten

   transition

   cause to convert or undergo a transition

   transfer, transplant, transpose

   transfer from one place or period to another

   transcribe

   convert the genetic information in (a strand of DNA) into a strand of RNA, especially messenger RNA

   advance

   develop further

   salt

   add zest or liveliness to

   back

   shift to a counterclockwise direction

   veer

   shift to a clockwise direction

   cut

   shorten as if by severing the edges or ends of

   reflate

   economics: raise demand, expand the money supply, or raise prices, after a period of deflation

   hydrolise, hydrolize

   make a compound react with water and undergo hydrolysis

   float

   convert from a fixed point notation to a floating point notation

   stalinise, stalinize

   transform in accordance with Stalin's policies

   destalinise, destalinize

   counteract the effects and policies of Stalinism

   scrap

   make into scrap or refuse

   keratinise, keratinize

   convert into keratin

   upgrade

   give better travel conditions to

   diazotize

   convert (an amine) into a diazo compound

   hay

   convert (plant material) into hay

   lignify

   convert into wood or cause to become woody

   mineralize

   transform (a metal) into an ore

   mineralize

   convert into a mineral substance

   ozonise, ozonize

   convert (oxygen) into ozone

   slag

   convert into slag

   sulfate

   convert into a sulfate

   cutinize

   convert into cutin

   duplex

   change into a duplex

   reduce

   destress and thus weaken a sound when pronouncing it

   muddy

   cause to become muddy

   copyedit, copyread, subedit

   edit and correct (written or printed material)

   adjudicate, decide, dispose, resolve, settle

   bring to an end; settle conclusively

   conclude

   bring to a close

   register

   enter into someone's consciousness

   close

   complete a business deal, negotiation, or an agreement

   proselytise, proselytize

   convert to another faith or religion

   bracket, bracket out

   place into brackets

   color, colour, distort, tinge

   affect as in thought or feeling

   dub

   provide (movies) with a soundtrack of a foreign language

   encode

   convert information into code

   underline, underscore

   draw a line or lines underneath to call attention to

   endanger, expose, peril, queer, scupper

   put in a dangerous, disadvantageous, or difficult position

   mobilise, mobilize

   get ready for war

   remilitarise, remilitarize

   militarize anew

   draw, tie

   finish a game with an equal number of points, goals, etc.

   addict, hook

   to cause (someone or oneself) to become dependent (on something, especially a narcotic drug)

   inebriate, intoxicate, soak

   make drunk (with alcoholic drinks)

   violate

   destroy

   hit, strike

   affect or afflict suddenly, usually adversely

   brace, stabilise, stabilize, steady

   support or hold steady and make steadfast, with or as if with a brace

   untwist

   cause to become untwisted

   brush

   clean with a brush

   dust

   remove the dust from

   hoover, vacuum, vacuum-clean

   clean with a vacuum cleaner

   hygienise, hygienize, sanitise, sanitize

   make sanitary by cleaning or sterilizing

   bream

   clean (a ship's bottom) with heat

   steam, steam clean

   clean by means of steaming

   edge

   provide with an edge

   strop

   sharpen on a strop

   whet

   sharpen by rubbing, as on a whetstone

   hone

   sharpen with a hone

   smear

   stain by smearing or daubing with a dirty substance

   slime

   cover or stain with slime

   muddy, muddy up

   dirty with mud

   stripe

   mark with stripes

   speck

   produce specks in or on

   bespot

   mark with, or as if with, spots

   scarify

   break up

   unbend

   free from flexure

   core out, hollow, hollow out

   remove the interior of

   confine, hold, restrain

   to close within bounds, limit or hold back from movement

   batten

   secure with battens

   batten, batten down, secure

   furnish with battens

   squirt

   wet with a spurt of liquid

   unscrew

   loosen something by unscrewing it

   unscrew

   loosen by turning

   screw

   tighten or fasten by means of screwing motions

   extend

   open or straighten out; unbend

   channelise, channelize

   cause to form a channel

   aggregate, combine

   gather in a mass, sum, or whole

   fluff, ruffle

   erect or fluff up

   plume, preen

   clean with one's bill

   sweep

   clean by sweeping

   concoct

   make a concoction (of) by mixing

   combine, compound

   combine so as to form a whole; mix

   blend, immingle, intermingle, intermix

   combine into one

   jumble, scramble, throw together

   bring into random order

   lube, lubricate

   apply a lubricant to

   burden, burthen, weight, weight down

   weight down with a load

   surcharge

   fill to an excessive degree

   freight

   load with goods for transportation

   lade, laden, load, load up

   fill or place a load on

   charge, load

   provide (a device) with something necessary

   put to sleep

   help someone go to bed

   wreathe

   decorate or deck with wreaths

   beset, encrust, incrust

   decorate or cover lavishly (as with gems)

   untwine

   undo what has been twined together

   unweave

   undo strands that have been woven together

   braid

   decorate with braids or ribbons

   wind, wind up

   coil the spring of (some mechanical device) by turning a stem

   circle, encircle

   form a circle around

   deluge, flood, inundate, swamp

   fill quickly beyond capacity; as with a liquid

   do the dishes, wash up

   wash dishes

   pipe-clay

   whiten or clean with pipe-clay

   scavenge

   clean refuse from

   splash

   soil or stain with a splashed liquid

   mire, muck, muck up, mud

   soil with mud, muck, or mire

   crock

   soil with or as with crock

   dry clean

   clean with chemical agents

   launder, wash

   cleanse with a cleaning agent, such as soap, and water

   blemish, spot

   mar or impair with a flaw

   wear away, whittle away, whittle down

   cut away in small pieces

   bang up, smash, smash up

   damage or destroy as if by violence

   delineate, describe, draw, line, trace

   make a mark or lines on a surface

   turn

   shape by rotating on a lathe or cutting device or a wheel

   gut

   empty completely; destroy the inside of

   post, stake

   mark with a stake

   comb

   straighten with a comb

   bond, bring together, draw together

   bring together in a common cause or emotion

   phase out

   terminate gradually

   disincarnate

   make immaterial; remove the real essence of

   broider, embroider

   decorate with needlework

   stick

   cover and decorate with objects that pierce the surface

   illustrate

   supply with illustrations

   process, work, work on

   shape, form, or improve a material

   garland

   adorn with bands of flowers or leaves

   fledge, flight

   decorate with feathers

   bespangle, spangle

   decorate with spangles

   foliate

   decorate with leaves

   flag

   decorate with flags

   bard, barde, caparison, dress up

   put a caparison on

   bead

   decorate by sewing beads onto

   pipe

   trim with piping

   applique

   sew on as a decoration

   gild the lily, paint the lily

   adorn unnecessarily (something that is already beautiful)

   vermiculate

   decorate with wavy or winding lines

   smock

   embellish by sewing in straight lines crossing each other diagonally

   hang

   decorate or furnish with something suspended

   prank

   dress or decorate showily or gaudily

   tinsel

   adorn with tinsel

   tart up

   decorate in a cheap and flashy way

   stucco

   decorate with stucco work

   redecorate

   redo the decoration of an apartment or house

   panel

   decorate with panels

   bejewel, jewel

   adorn or decorate with precious stones

   filet, fillet

   decorate with a lace of geometric designs

   scallop

   decorate an edge with scallops

   bedizen

   decorate tastelessly

   dress ship

   decorate a ship with flags

   dress, garnish, trim

   decorate (food), as with parsley or other ornamental foods

   trim

   decorate, as with ornaments

   bedeck, bedight, deck

   decorate

   festoon

   decorate with strings of flowers

   enamel

   coat, inlay, or surface with enamel

   inlay

   decorate the surface of by inserting wood, stone, and metal

   lacquer

   coat with lacquer

   begild, engild, gild

   decorate with, or as if with, gold leaf or liquid gold

   illuminate

   add embellishments and paintings to (medieval manuscripts)

   blazon, emblazon

   decorate with heraldic arms

   blotch, mottle, streak

   mark with spots or blotches of different color or shades of color as if stained

   color, colour, emblazon

   decorate with colors

   crop, cultivate, work

   prepare for crops

   fringe

   adorn with a fringe

   fret

   decorate with an interlaced design

   landscape

   embellish with plants

   efface

   make inconspicuous

   brace, poise

   prepare (oneself) for something unpleasant or difficult

   drift apart, drift away, lose touch

   lose personal contact over time

   wean

   detach the affections of

   pack

   fill to capacity

   subject

   cause to experience or suffer or make liable or vulnerable to

   solarise, solarize

   reverse some of the tones of (a negative or print) and introduce pronounced outlines of highlights, by exposing it briefly to light, then washing and redeveloping it

   benumb, blunt, dull, numb

   make numb or insensitive

   bedaze, daze, stun

   overcome as with astonishment or disbelief

   besot, stupefy

   make someone dazed or foolish

   underdevelop

   process (a film or photographic plate) less than the required time or in an ineffective solution or at an insufficiently high temperature

   redevelop

   develop for a second time, in order to improve the contrast, colour, etc., of a negative or print

   dim, dip

   switch (a car's headlights) from a higher to a lower beam

   abacinate

   blind by holding a red-hot metal plate before someone's eyes

   deaf, deafen

   make or render deaf

   hush, pipe down, quiesce, quiet, quiet down, quieten

   become quiet or quieter

   louden

   become louder

   soften

   make (images or sounds) soft or softer

   sharpen

   make (images or sounds) sharp or sharper

   dulcify, dulcorate, edulcorate, sweeten

   make sweeter in taste

   bitter

   make bitter

   acetify, acidify, acidulate, sour

   make sour or more sour

   kite

   increase the amount (of a check) fraudulently

   reduce, simplify

   simplify the form of a mathematical equation of expression by substituting one term for another

   truncate

   replace a corner by a plane

   factor

   be a contributing factor

   instill, transfuse

   impart gradually

   tinsel

   impart a cheap brightness to

   retool

   provide (a workshop or factory) with new tools

   throw in

   add as an extra or as a gratuity

   subrogate

   substitute one creditor for another, as in the case where an insurance company sues the person who caused an accident for the insured

   educate

   give an education to

   close

   finish or terminate (meetings, speeches, etc.)

   decontrol

   relax or remove controls of

   empower, endow, endue, gift, imbue, indue, invest

   give qualities or abilities to

   bother, discommode, disoblige, incommode, inconvenience, put out, trouble

   cause inconvenience or discomfort to

   brand

   burn with a branding iron to indicate ownership; of animals

   over-correct, overcompensate

   make excessive corrections for fear of making an error

   aby, abye, atone, expiate

   make amends for

   co-opt

   neutralize or win over through assimilation into an established group

   act upon, influence, work

   have and exert influence or effect

   redeem

   restore the honor or worth of

   check, condition, discipline, train

   develop (children's) behavior by instruction and practice; especially to teach self-control

   infect

   corrupt with ideas or an ideology

   lead astray, lead off

   teach immoral behavior to

   poison

   spoil as if by poison

   bastardise, bastardize

   change something so that its value declines; for example, art forms

   suborn

   incite to commit a crime or an evil deed

   slam-dunk

   make a forceful move against

   douse, dowse

   wet thoroughly

   leave

   act or be so as to become in a specified state

   shade, shade off, shadow

   cast a shadow over

   cloud, overcast

   make overcast or cloudy

   dilute

   reduce the value of shareholder stocks by increasing the total number of shares

   monetize

   convert an economy or society from a barter system to one based on the exchange of money

   disarm

   defuse or make harmless; deactivate

   monogram

   mark, print, or embroider with one’s initials or other letters

   coax

   carefully manipulate, adjust, or bring to a desired state
2. verb

   make less severe or harsh or extreme
   “please modify this letter to make it more polite”

   “he modified his views on same-gender marriage”

   types:

   optimise, optimize

   modify to achieve maximum efficiency in storage capacity or time or cost

   attemper

   modify the temperature of

   syncopate

   modify the rhythm by stressing or accenting a weak beat

   update

   modernize or bring up to date

   update

   bring to the latest state of technology

   hop up, hot up, soup up

   make more powerful

   cream

   add cream to one's coffee, for example

   qualify, restrict

   make more specific

   corrupt, spoil

   alter from the original

   harden, temper

   harden by reheating and cooling in oil

   specialise, specialize

   suit to a special purpose

   buffer

   add a buffer (a solution)

   inflect

   change the form of a word in accordance as required by the grammatical rules of the language

   buffer, cushion, soften

   protect from impact

   adulterate, debase, dilute, load, stretch

   corrupt, debase, or make impure by adding a foreign or inferior substance; often by replacing valuable ingredients with inferior ones

   compare

   to form the comparative or superlative form on an adjective or adverb

   decline

   inflect for number, gender, case, etc., "in many languages, speakers decline nouns, pronouns, and adjectives"

   conjugate

   add inflections showing person, number, gender, tense, aspect, etc.

   pluralise, pluralize

   mark with a grammatical morpheme that indicates plural

   type of:

   change

   undergo a change; become different in essence; losing one's or its original nature
3. verb

   add a modifier to a constituent
   synonyms: qualify

   type of:

   add

   make an addition (to); join or combine or unite with others; increase the quality, quantity, size or scope of