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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of manipulate
This is a sophisticated cyberattack where hackers manipulate a system's internal clock to sneak past security defenses.
—
Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2025
Nothing is satisfying when people are being killed and abused and manipulated, because of their trauma.
—Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 27 Apr. 2025
Diddy's lawyers unsuccessfully argued the video was manipulated.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 25 Apr. 2025
The video appears to show her manipulating and firing the gun, but it’s recorded from a distance and is soundless.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for manipulate
Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2025
Nothing is satisfying when people are being killed and abused and manipulated, because of their trauma.
—Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 27 Apr. 2025
Diddy's lawyers unsuccessfully argued the video was manipulated.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 25 Apr. 2025
The video appears to show her manipulating and firing the gun, but it’s recorded from a distance and is soundless.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for manipulate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for manipulate
Verb
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Next-Gen Anti-Ransomware Protection—Preemptive And Resilient Security Despite AV and EDR advancements, modern ransomware tactics—including encryption bypass and stealthy execution—continue to exploit gaps in endpoint defenses.—
Bob Kruse,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2025
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Mina is surprised that Sade isn’t more eager to exploit her weekend out of jail, but Sade relishes the freedom to just be.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The two brands managed just 917,598 sales in 2024, versus 1,343,959 in 2019, according to S&P Global Mobility.—
Mark Phelan,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2025
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In the one and only trial run, conducted in 1987, emergency squads managed to erect only a fraction of the necessary infrastructure.—
Jessi Jezewska Stevens,
The Dial,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The league’s roster rules are curated to maintain competitive parity, and include facets like salary caps, international slots and a hard limit on how many players can earn above the annual senior maximum salary (as negotiated with its players union in collective bargaining).—
Jeff Rueter,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
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During his first term, Trump pulled the U.S. out of the nuclear agreement negotiated with Iran by President Barack Obama.—
Spencer Kimball,
CNBC,
1 May 2025
Verb
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Jurors found Peters guilty in August for using someone else’s security badge to give an expert affiliated with My Pillow chief executive Mike Lindell access to the Mesa County election system and deceiving other officials about that person’s identity.—
Colleen Slevin,
Twin Cities,
22 Apr. 2025
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Stribling tried to deceive officers by saying Bailei was shot in a robbery, The Detroit News reported.—
Mike Stunson,
Kansas City Star,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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During a press conference on Wednesday, the China Manned Space Agency announced the astronaut selected will be a payload specialist, handling daily tasks during the mission, as well as scientific experiments for Pakistan.—
Sophia Saifi,
CNN Money,
24 Apr. 2025
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Charades will handle international sales, while UTA Independent Film Group will rep U.S. rights.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
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But the large open kitchen that takes up most of the room is the same—with cooks’ stations encircling a central vent that’s dramatically cantilevered, like the funnel of a cruise ship—as is the seating, much of it arranged around a sweeping U-shaped counter.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
4 May 2025
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Anderson, through his license for use of Lee’s name and likeness, arranged for Lee to gift him personal items that were to be placed in the museum but were allegedly rerouted to Anderson’s businesses.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
2 May 2025
Verb
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Illinois lawmakers can address critical workforce gaps and improve degree attainment by passing Pritzker’s proposal to establish community college baccalaureate programs.—
Arne Duncan,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2025
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This article is part of The Times’ equity reporting initiative, funded by the James Irvine Foundation, exploring the challenges facing low-income workers and the efforts being made to address California’s economic divide.—
Rebecca Plevin,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
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They are engineered through intentional, repeatable practices that rewire how people are seen, heard, and valued at every level of the system.—
Mary Hemphill, PhD,
Forbes.com,
1 May 2025
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As in the 2003 film, the events are purposefully engineered by occult entities to test the bonds of blood.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
29 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Manipulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manipulate. Accessed 8 May. 2025.
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