equate vs modify

equate and modify both are verbs.

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

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

Other hypernyms of equate include alter, change.

equate (verb)	modify (verb)
make equal, uniform, corresponding, or matching	make less severe or harsh or extreme
consider or describe as similar, equal, or analogous	add a modifier to a constituent
be equivalent or parallel, in mathematics	cause to change; make different; cause a transformation