manipulate

ma·nip·u·late

transitive verb \mə-ˈni-pyə-ˌlāt\

ma·nip·u·lat·edma·nip·u·lat·ing

Definition of MANIPULATE

1

: to treat or operate with or as if with the hands or by mechanical means especially in a skillful manner

2

a : to manage or utilize skillfully

b : to control or play upon by artful, unfair, or insidious means especially to one's own advantage

3

: to change by artful or unfair means so as to serve one's purpose : doctor

— ma·nip·u·lat·able \-ˌlā-tə-bəl\ adjective

— ma·nip·u·la·tion \-ˌni-pyə-ˈlā-shən\ noun

— ma·nip·u·la·tive \-ˈni-pyə-ˌlā-tiv, -lə-\ adjective

— ma·nip·u·la·tive·ly adverb

— ma·nip·u·la·tive·ness noun

— ma·nip·u·la·tor \-ˌlā-tər\ noun

— ma·nip·u·la·to·ry \-lə-ˌtōr-ē, -ˌtȯr-\ adjective

Examples of MANIPULATE

1. The baby is learning to manipulate blocks.
2. The mechanical arms are manipulated by a computer.
3. The doctor manipulated my back.
4. The program was designed to organize and manipulate large amounts of data.
5. He's always been good at manipulating numbers in his head.
6. As part of the experiment, students manipulated light and temperature to see how it affected the plants.
7. She knows how to manipulate her parents to get what she wants.
8. He felt that he had been manipulated by the people he trusted most.
9. The editorial was a blatant attempt to manipulate public opinion.
10. He's accused of trying to manipulate the price of the stock.

Origin of MANIPULATE

back-formation from manipulation, from French, from manipuler to handle an apparatus in chemistry, ultimately from Latin manipulus

First Known Use: 1834

Related to MANIPULATE

Synonyms

exploit, play (upon)

Related Words

engineer, finagle, jockey, maneuver; beguile, bluff, cozen, deceive, delude, dupe, fool, gull, hoax, hoodwink, kid, shanghai, snow, take in, trick; intrigue, machinate, plot, scheme; arrange, contrive, devise, finesse, mastermind; cheat, chisel, con, defraud, fleece, gyp, hustle, swindle

Near Antonyms

botch, bungle, foozle, fumble, goof (up), louse up, mess (up), mishandle, muff, scamp

Rhymes with MANIPULATE

abbreviate, abominate, accelerate, accentuate, accommodate, acculturate, accumulate, adjudicate, adulterate, affiliate, agglomerate, alienate, alleviate, alliterate, amalgamate, ameliorate, amyl nitrate, annihilate, annunciate, anticipate, apostolate, appreciate, appropriate, approximate, arpeggiate, articulate, asphyxiate, assassinate, asseverate, assimilate, associate, at any rate, attenuate, authenticate, barbiturate, bicarbonate, calumniate, capacitate, capitulate, catholicate, certificate, coagulate, coelenterate, collaborate, commemorate, commiserate, communicate, compassionate, concatenate, conciliate, confabulate, confederate, conglomerate, congratulate, consolidate, contaminate, cooperate, coordinate, corroborate, deactivate, debilitate, decapitate, decelerate, decerebrate, deconcentrate, deconsecrate, decorticate, decrepitate, de-escalate, defibrinate, defoliate, degenerate, deliberate, delineate, demodulate, denominate, depopulate, depreciate, deracinate, deregulate, desegregate, desiderate, detoxicate, devaluate, diaconate, dilapidate, discriminate, disintegrate, disseminate, dissimulate, dissociate, domesticate, effectuate, ejaculate, elaborate, electroplate, eliminate, elucidate, emaciate, emancipate, emasculate, encapsulate, enumerate, enunciate, episcopate, equivocate, eradicate, etiolate, evacuate, evaluate, evaporate, eventuate, eviscerate, exacerbate, exaggerate, exasperate, excited state, excogitate, excoriate, exfoliate, exhilarate, exonerate, expatiate, expatriate, expectorate, expostulate, expropriate, extenuate, exterminate, extrapolate, facilitate, felicitate, fish or cut bait, garrison state, gesticulate, habilitate, habituate, hallucinate, humiliate, hydrogenate, hypothecate, illuminate, impersonate, inactivate, inaugurate, incarcerate, incinerate, incorporate, incriminate, indoctrinate, inebriate, infatuate, infuriate, ingratiate, ingurgitate, initiate, inoculate, inseminate, insinuate, instantiate, intercalate, interpolate, interrelate, interrogate, intimidate, intoxicate, invalidate, investigate, invigorate, irradiate, Italianate, Korea Strait, lanceolate, legitimate, luxuriate, mandarinate, matriarchate, matriculate, Merthiolate, necessitate, negotiate, noncandidate, obliterate, officiate, Orange Free State, orientate, originate, oxygenate, participate, particulate, patriarchate, patriciate, perambulate, peregrinate, perpetuate, pontificate, precipitate, predestinate, predominate, prefabricate, premeditate, preponderate, prevaricate, procrastinate, prognosticate, proliferate, propitiate, proportionate, quadruplicate, quintuplicate, reciprocate, recriminate, recuperate, redecorate, reduplicate, reeducate, refrigerate, regenerate, regurgitate, reincarnate, reintegrate, reiterate, rejuvenate, remunerate, repatriate, repudiate, resuscitate, retaliate, reticulate, revaluate, reverberate, scholasticate, second estate, self-flagellate, self-immolate, self-pollinate, seventy-eight, sextuplicate, Singapore Strait, sophisticate, subordinate, substantiate, syllabicate, tergiversate, transliterate, triangulate, vanity plate, variegate, vaticinate, vituperate, vociferate

ma·nip·u·late

transitive verb \mə-ˈnip-yə-ˌlāt\   (Medical Dictionary)

ma·nip·u·lat·ed; ma·nip·u·lat·ing

Medical Definition of MANIPULATE

1

: to treat or operate with the hands or by mechanical means especially in a skillful manner <manipulate the fragments of a broken bone into correct position>

2

a : to manage or utilize skillfully b : to control or play upon by artful, unfair, or insidious means especially to one's own advantage

—ma·nip·u·la·tive \-ˈnip-yə-ˌlāt-iv, -lət-\ (audio pronunciation) (audio pronunciation) adjective

—ma·nip·u·la·tive·ness noun