contaminate vs modify

contaminate and modify both are verbs.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
contaminate	No	No	Yes	No
modify	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, modify is a hypernym of contaminate; that is, modify is a word with a broader meaning than contaminate:

Other hypernyms of contaminate include alter, change.

contaminate (verb)	modify (verb)
make impure	make less severe or harsh or extreme
make radioactive by adding radioactive material	add a modifier to a constituent
	cause to change; make different; cause a transformation