1
as in used
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 manipulated
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 utilized
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of exploited
Meanwhile, the lines between exploiter and exploited, powerful and powerless, hero and villain blur in ways that are sometimes satirical, sometimes sad and occasionally thrilling.
—
Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
In 2023, the company disclosed that criminals had exploited a flaw in its payment systems to steal about $20 million in corporate funds.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Apr. 2026
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, which runs the CyberTipline, a nationwide centralized reporting system for online child exploitation, said members of the public are sending it reports describing incidents in which children or abuse survivors may have been exploited using Grok.
—David Ingram, NBC news, 14 Apr. 2026
This includes patching existing vulnerabilities and making sure that the permissions employees have are strictly limited so they can’t be exploited.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 13 Apr. 2026
Naturally, the issues were patched after discovery, but the complexity of modem code virtually guarantees there are more vulnerabilities lurking inside, ready to be exploited by a bad actor.
—Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 13 Apr. 2026
The email suggests the hackers have already exploited customer information.
—Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 13 Apr. 2026
Much more damning, however, was the manner in which Wrexham’s shortcomings were brutally exploited during what proved to be the club’s biggest home loss since Gateshead ran riot to triumph 7-2 at The Racecourse Ground in 2011.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Nevertheless, rumors about Altman’s personal life have been exploited and distorted by competitors.
—Ronan Farrow, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
In 2023, the company disclosed that criminals had exploited a flaw in its payment systems to steal about $20 million in corporate funds.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Apr. 2026
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, which runs the CyberTipline, a nationwide centralized reporting system for online child exploitation, said members of the public are sending it reports describing incidents in which children or abuse survivors may have been exploited using Grok.
—David Ingram, NBC news, 14 Apr. 2026
This includes patching existing vulnerabilities and making sure that the permissions employees have are strictly limited so they can’t be exploited.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 13 Apr. 2026
Naturally, the issues were patched after discovery, but the complexity of modem code virtually guarantees there are more vulnerabilities lurking inside, ready to be exploited by a bad actor.
—Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 13 Apr. 2026
The email suggests the hackers have already exploited customer information.
—Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 13 Apr. 2026
Much more damning, however, was the manner in which Wrexham’s shortcomings were brutally exploited during what proved to be the club’s biggest home loss since Gateshead ran riot to triumph 7-2 at The Racecourse Ground in 2011.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Nevertheless, rumors about Altman’s personal life have been exploited and distorted by competitors.
—Ronan Farrow, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exploited
Verb
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Henry Kissinger used that argument to explain why academic feuds are so bitter.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Copper wiring, which was used for communications for decades, is one of the first things being replaced.—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The price of Celsius crypto would go up, but it was being manipulated by those in charge, all as a way to get ordinary citizens to invest.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
20 Apr. 2026
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Figures show crime was already on the decline before, although those figures are being investigated after claims arose against local police that they may have been manipulated.—
Gary Fields,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Bain would likely struggle in a 3-4 scheme, but would best be utilized in a wide-9 scheme, which Miami could potentially run.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
10 Apr. 2026
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The Next Gen Road Safety Act will help close the gap between what technology is available and what technology is actually utilized, with an ultimate goal of reducing pursuit crashes, injuries and deaths, according to Friedman.—
Sierra van der Brug,
Daily News,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The woman who spoke to the FBI about Staley also alleged she’d been abused by Leon Black, a billionaire and former CEO of Apollo Global Management.—
Curt Devine,
CNN Money,
22 Apr. 2026
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Judge Nancy Abudu — appointed by Joe Biden — said the state and federal government failed to show that the district court abused its power.—
Claire Heddles,
Miami Herald,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Andrew, a senior, applied in the fall of 1984.—
John McPhee,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
More than 2,800 households have applied for the compensation program.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The criminal complaint says Mafi leveraged her contacts within the government to settle a property dispute over an inheritance from her late father and to get her son out of his mandatory military service.—
Sonja Sharp,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Apr. 2026
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Pricing, routing, and supply disruptions are leveraged to shape political outcomes, test alliances, and fund parallel financial systems.—
Gaurav Srivastava,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The lawsuit, filed Monday in Cass County Circuit Court, accuses the furniture company of failing to conduct a thorough background check on Enrique Lopez-Martinez, who was employed by a flooring company NFM contracted with to do the removal of old carpeting and installation of new.—
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
22 Apr. 2026
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But, as pointed out on Epicurious, the go-to website for foodies, the word elicits substantial reader backlash even when employed to describe chicken and cakes.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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There was no single tool that could launch devastating new attacks, but large language models were still harnessed to supercharge old tricks of the trade.—
Parmy Olson,
Twin Cities,
18 Apr. 2026
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This disparity has led researchers to investigate why human brain regeneration is so limited and whether the biological mechanisms found in other species can be harnessed to unlock future regenerative therapies for the human brain.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Exploited.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exploited. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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