1
as in to use
to take unfair advantage of
the type of person who exploits a friend's good nature by constantly sponging off of him
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to manipulate
to control or take advantage of by artful, unfair, or insidious means
a politician more than willing to exploit any national tragedy for political gain
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to utilize
to put into action or service
it will be a shame if you don't exploit your artistic talent to the fullest
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in feat
an act of notable skill, strength, or cleverness
the fanciful exploits of the giant lumberjack Paul Bunyan
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in thing
something done by someone
once famed as an actor, John Wilkes Booth is now remembered for a single exploit, his assassination of Lincoln
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in experience
an exciting or noteworthy event that one experiences firsthand
a memoir recounting three decades of exploits as a roving foreign correspondent for TV news
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of exploit
Michael Bloom, CNBC, 8 May 2025
Separately, Norton watches for signs of any attacks attempting to exploit vulnerabilities in the operating system or in popular programs.
—PC Magazine, 8 May 2025
Mingyi Liu, The Conversation, 8 May 2025
This is well timed, given an almost monthly cadence of patched exploits.
—Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for exploit
Verb
Expect Google to more aggressively exploit its distribution advantage, pushing AI Search in the main search bar.
—Michael Bloom, CNBC, 8 May 2025
Separately, Norton watches for signs of any attacks attempting to exploit vulnerabilities in the operating system or in popular programs.
—PC Magazine, 8 May 2025
Noun
In 2024 alone, people lost nearly US$1.5 billion due to security exploits and fraud.
—Mingyi Liu, The Conversation, 8 May 2025
This is well timed, given an almost monthly cadence of patched exploits.
—Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for exploit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exploit
Verb
-
While rain ponchos stayed tucked away, the real stars of the show were hand fans — used more as percussion instruments than for cooling off.—
Billboard Brasil,
Billboard,
5 May 2025
-
The company uses green chemicals and operates at room temperature to reduce energy consumption and the need to pre-wash materials.—
Jennifer Bringle,
Sourcing Journal,
5 May 2025
Verb
-
Life-changing events, including the loss of a spouse, early onset dementia or another medical issue, can trigger changes in the way someone would react to anyone who is experienced at manipulating people to part with their money.—
Susan Tompor,
USA Today,
15 May 2025
-
For instance, prompt injection attacks—a new twist on the traditional prompt injection attack, where malicious prompts manipulate AI behavior—require novel defensive approaches beyond conventional security controls.—
Omar Turner,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2025
Verb
-
The pair didn’t always agree on how Reese should be utilized on the floor.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
3 May 2025
-
But Alex Turcotte was reduced to part-time status and was pulled out of the lineup in favor of Trevor Lewis at a time when Turcotte’s younger legs could have been utilized.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
3 May 2025
Noun
-
Other Yankees to accomplish the feat include Tom Tresh, Roy White and Mark Teixeira, who actually did it two other times with two other teams.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
10 May 2025
-
The feat now ties them with Blur, Kasabian, Barbara Streisand, George Michael, Muse, The Prodigy and Paul McCartney (solo) on the all-time list of acts who have landed seven No. 1s.—
Thomas Smith,
Billboard,
9 May 2025
Noun
-
Instead of approaching them and giving them the opportunity to say mean things to you, consider trying to make friends with other girls -- girls who might like to be friends with you too.—
Mark Mondier,
Arkansas Online,
18 May 2025
-
People would be discussing things, sketching things, spilling out at night, drinking coffee in the day, and having cocktails at night.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
17 May 2025
Noun
-
Also, experiences as gifts remain popular in the post-pandemic era, with 36% of men planning to give experiences this year, a rise from 29% in 2019.—
Jennifer Borresen,
USA Today,
10 May 2025
-
Amazon just keeps upgrading sellers’ experience with artificial intelligence.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
9 May 2025
Verb
-
For decades, the company has flourished by leveraging its dominance in insurance and growth in the Medicare market, the U.S. government program that covers medical costs for the elderly.—
Sneha S.K,
USA Today,
16 May 2025
-
In addition to workspace, many incubators offer mentoring, educational programs, coaching, and introductions to investors, industry executives and other tech ecosystem resources. Carving out time to leverage these offerings can be a potential game changer for founders.—
Karen Cashion,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2025
Verb
-
The $30 cost includes all fees, but not taxes as applicable according to city, state and venue and applies to amphitheater shows throughout the U.S. and Canada.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
15 May 2025
-
The liquid, applied with a brush, works best for full nail coverage, especially on larger nailbeds.—
Lauren Paige Richeson,
Health,
14 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Exploit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exploit. Accessed 20 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share