exploitation
noun
ex·ploi·ta·tion
ˌek-ˌsplȯi-ˈtā-shən 
: an act or instance of exploiting
exploitation of natural resources
exploitation of immigrant laborers
clever exploitation of the system
Examples of exploitation in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Guzman’s arrest was part of an operation conducted by SJPD’s Internet Crimes Against Children task force and the FBI timed with Super Bowl week, when law-enforcement agencies and public officials historically increase attention on human trafficking and child exploitation.
—
Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2026
Raised by Vietnamese immigrant parents, Le was taught to be wary of strangers — generosity was ripe for exploitation.
—Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Last year, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received more than 3,000 reports involving sadistic online exploitation, a 130% increase over the year prior, said Lauren Coffren, an executive director with the center.
—Curt Devine, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
The Trust Act allows for local cooperation with ICE on certain criminal matters, like human trafficking, child exploitation, drug and weapons trafficking, and cybercrimes.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 10 Feb. 2026
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Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2026
Raised by Vietnamese immigrant parents, Le was taught to be wary of strangers — generosity was ripe for exploitation.
—Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Last year, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received more than 3,000 reports involving sadistic online exploitation, a 130% increase over the year prior, said Lauren Coffren, an executive director with the center.
—Curt Devine, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
The Trust Act allows for local cooperation with ICE on certain criminal matters, like human trafficking, child exploitation, drug and weapons trafficking, and cybercrimes.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for exploitation
Cite this Entry
“Exploitation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exploitation. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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