Entry Word: manipulate

Function: verb

Meaning: 1 to control or take advantage of by artful, unfair, or insidious means <manipulated their parents into agreeing to let them stay out later by telling their mother that their father agreed, and vice versa>

Synonyms exploit, play (upon)

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

2 to deal with (something) usually skillfully or efficiently <a scientist effortlessly manipulating a slew of statistics while testifying before congress> — see handle 1
3 to plan out usually with subtle skill or care <manipulated the schedule of presidential primaries so that the choice of the party elders would win the nomination> — see engineer