alters
v.v. to change something slightly. You use this when the basic thing stays the same, but its appearance or character is different.
v. to make different in some particular way, as in size, style, or character, without changing into something else entirely. Often implies a deliberate or technical adjustment.
The tailor alters the suit to fit me better.
The new law significantly alters how small businesses report their taxes each year.
The architect's decision to include a skylight fundamentally alters the way natural light interacts with the interior space during the winter months.
The verb is transitive and takes a direct object; it can also be used intransitively to describe a change occurring naturally.
The weather alters every day.The weather changes every day.'Alter' usually implies a specific, often permanent adjustment to a thing's structure or form, whereas 'change' is the broader term for any variation.