manipulate
verb
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Definition of manipulate
1 : to treat or operate with or as if with the hands or by mechanical means especially in a skillful manner manipulate a pencil manipulate a machine
2a : to manage or utilize skillfully quantify our data and manipulate it statistically— S. L. Payne
b : to control or play upon by artful, unfair, or insidious means especially to one's own advantage being used and manipulated by the knowing men around him — New Republic
3 : to change by artful or unfair means so as to serve one's purpose : doctor suspected that the police reports were manipulated— Evelyn G. Cruickshanks
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Other Words from manipulate
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adjective
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noun
-lə-
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adjective
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noun
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adjective
Synonyms for manipulate
Synonyms
contrive, engineer, finagle, finesse, frame, machinate, maneuver, mastermind, negotiate, wangle
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Examples of manipulate in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
And on Monday, the MDC's chief election agent, Jameson Timba, said the state election commission had failed to provide an accurate voters' roll and was trying to manipulate the vote. — Christopher Torchia, Fox News, "After Mugabe, how free and fair will Zimbabwe's vote be?," 4 July 2018 Either way, no team would support a commissioner who favors the competitive interests of one team and tries to manipulate player transactions in order to benefit that team. — Michael Mccann, SI.com, "DeMarcus Cousins and the NBA's Efforts to Keep Competitive Balance," 3 July 2018 Literature’s most astute observer of human nature didn’t need to witness 21st-century nativism to dramatize how distressed people can be manipulated. — Tom Saler, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Tom Saler: History shows tariffs tend to end badly," 9 Mar. 2018 That's an expensive two-month rental, though as in any deal, the finances can be manipulated by the Rangers paying part of the contract. — Jeff Wilson, star-telegram, "Hamels knows what it's like to be traded. Why this time is different as Rangers seek suitors," 1 July 2018 The delay raised concerns that any chemicals potentially used could have degraded before inspectors reached the site or that evidence could have been manipulated. — Hilary Mcgann And Laura Smith-spark, CNN, "Experts want to exhume alleged Syria chemical attack victims for testing," 3 May 2018 Oxman is fascinated with organic systems and the potential for them to be manipulated. — Diana Budds, Curbed, "5 reasons why Neri Oxman is more important than Brad Pitt right now," 11 Apr. 2018 The photos and videos haven't been edited by the latest Instagram filter or otherwise digitally manipulated. — Allyson Chiu, courant.com, "Orange snow blankets Eastern Europe. There's an explanation.," 26 Mar. 2018 The city admitted early last year that contractors’ demolition bids were manipulated to avoid a $25,000 cap on per-house demolition costs. — Joe Guillen, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit demolition documents suggesting bid-rigging get FBI review," 9 Mar. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'manipulate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
'Handsome', 'Sophisticated', and 8 More...
'Handsome', 'Sophisticated', and 8 More Words That Changed Their Meanings
Language evolves
Dictionary Entries near manipulate
Statistics for manipulate
Last Updated
11 Oct 2018
Look-up Popularity
Time Traveler for manipulate
The first known use of manipulate was in 1834
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More Definitions for manipulate
manipulate
verb
English Language Learners Definition of manipulate
: to move or control (something) with your hands or by using a machine
medical : to move (muscles and bones) with your hands as a form of treatment
: to use or change (numbers, information, etc.) in a skillful way or for a particular purpose
See the full definition for manipulate in the English Language Learners Dictionary
manipulate
verb
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Kids Definition of manipulate
1 : to operate, use, or move with the hands or by mechanical means She learned to manipulate the levers of the machine.
2 : to manage skillfully and especially with intent to deceive The candidates tried to manipulate public opinion.
manipulate
transitive verb
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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
2a : to manage or utilize skillfully
b : to control or play upon by artful, unfair, or insidious means especially to one's own advantage
Other Words from manipulate
-lət-
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adjective
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manipulate
transitive verb
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Legal Definition of manipulate
: to change by artful or unfair means so as to serve one's purpose specifically : to affect (the price of securities) artificially in order to deceive or mislead investors
Other Words from manipulate
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adjective
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noun
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adjective
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noun
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adjective
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