1
as in to exploit
to control or take advantage of by artful, unfair, or insidious means
the con man would slyly manipulate the emotions of his marks in order to win their sympathy and trust
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2
as in to manage
to deal with (something) usually skillfully or efficiently
spin doctors manipulating the data to make it seem more favorable to their preferred candidates
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to negotiate
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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of manipulate
Later, Cynthia discovers that there are no cameras at Blue Farm and that Ginny manipulated her to help free Georgia.
—
Barry Levitt, Time, 5 June 2025
But the real margin of victory for the opposition — reportedly as much as a 40-point lead — was too large to convincingly manipulate.
—Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 June 2025
Attackers can design prompts that insert malicious instructions through seemingly innocent prompts, manipulate the model to reset its understanding of its role or subtly influence the model's output by feeding misleading information or context.
—Etay Maor, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
All platforms manipulate users to keep them scrolling.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for manipulate
Barry Levitt, Time, 5 June 2025
But the real margin of victory for the opposition — reportedly as much as a 40-point lead — was too large to convincingly manipulate.
—Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 June 2025
Attackers can design prompts that insert malicious instructions through seemingly innocent prompts, manipulate the model to reset its understanding of its role or subtly influence the model's output by feeding misleading information or context.
—Etay Maor, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
All platforms manipulate users to keep them scrolling.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for manipulate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for manipulate
Verb
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Whether climate denial, corporate lobbying or inequitable wealth distribution, our systems often reward those who can exploit the system without regard for their impact on long-term system health.—
Maureen Metcalf,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
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Only in these areas will humanitarian aid be provided—by an American company under direct Israeli security arrangements—to avoid previous distribution arrangements that were exploited by Hamas.—
Assaf Orion,
Foreign Affairs,
3 June 2025
Verb
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Kieran manages to survive, and Sean is finally held accountable and arrested for the deaths of Gabby Birch and Bronte Laidler.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
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Rehrig will manage editorial direction, story development and day-to-day production.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
10 June 2025
Verb
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For starters, unlike Trump’s single-minded focus on China during his first-term trade war, Trump 2.0 is sparring with every country on the planet with the ostensible goal of negotiating freer and fairer trade deals, from our closest democratic allies to the Chinese Communist Party.—
Tiana Lowe Doescher,
The Washington Examiner,
6 June 2025
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Here’s the thing, no employee should be left to negotiate basic dignity on their own.—
Aparna Rae,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
Verb
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Even children who are online only in small doses likely see false or inaccurate information that might deceive them.—
Evan Orticio,
Scientific American,
2 June 2025
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In November, Dove pleaded guilty in Gaston County to a dozen felony charges related to illegally accessing police computer systems and helping someone deceive a polygraph test, The Gaston Gazette reported.—
Julia Coin,
Charlotte Observer,
30 May 2025
Verb
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Production is being handled by Fortiche Films (Jérôme Combe, Hervé Dupont), with Les Storygraphes and ARTE France onboard as co-producers.—
Jamie Lang,
Variety,
10 June 2025
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The collection also includes three of Made In’s award-winning French knives—a chef knife, utility knife, and paring knife—with unique denim micarta knife handles.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
10 June 2025
Verb
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The park hosts various stargazing events, and larger groups can arrange hour-long astronomy programs (pending staff availability).—
Lydia Mansel,
Southern Living,
8 June 2025
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Fun fact: Cohen arranged the casting contract for his former Goonies costar Ke Huy Quan for Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022).—
Sarah Weldon,
EW.com,
7 June 2025
Verb
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DSPs address this by unifying discovery, classification, tokenization and policy enforcement into a singular platform.—
Ed Leavens,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
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The unit offers mostly young, nonviolent offenders an opportunity to avoid prosecution by completing a program to address the issues that initially led to their arrest.—
Bram Sable-Smith,
CNN Money,
3 June 2025
Verb
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Capelle’s signature compression liner, an innovation engineered for premium support, breathability, and lasting comfort, introduces a watercolor-shifting technology line of the swim trunks, allowing for all-day performance without compromising style or expression.—
Cassell Ferere,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2025
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This underwire bikini top is engineered to flatter AA, A, and B cups with a close fit that actually hugs your shape.—
Malia Griggs,
Glamour,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Manipulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manipulate. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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