1
as in using
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 manipulating
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 utilizing
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
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 exploiting
Quantum systems promise new ways to solve specific classes of problems by exploiting superposition and entanglement.
—
Matthew S Williams, Interesting Engineering, 5 Feb. 2026
The agency is working with its partners to stop hackers from exploiting any of the vulnerabilities identified in the report, said Nick Andersen, CISA’s executive assistant director for cybersecurity.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2026
And that could be a positive worth exploiting following the consistent volatility here in recent years.
—Matt Richardson, CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026
Even with the rapidly decreasing price of launching things into space, there are incredible technological and financial hurdles that stand in the way of exploiting resources in orbit.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 4 Feb. 2026
Party leaders and allies enrich themselves, exploiting national compassion to line their pockets.
—Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 4 Feb. 2026
Prosecutors said the former actor weaponized his reputation as a Lakota medicine man, exploiting cultural traditions and spiritual beliefs to prey on Indigenous women and girls.
—Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 31 Jan. 2026
These can include sabotaging infrastructure to foment unrest, subtly interfering with training exercises to undermine Arctic capabilities, and exploiting divisions in adversarial alliances.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 30 Jan. 2026
Google has now taken action against a raft of malicious apps exploiting its ecosystem and cloud services to attack phones.
—Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Matthew S Williams, Interesting Engineering, 5 Feb. 2026
The agency is working with its partners to stop hackers from exploiting any of the vulnerabilities identified in the report, said Nick Andersen, CISA’s executive assistant director for cybersecurity.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2026
And that could be a positive worth exploiting following the consistent volatility here in recent years.
—Matt Richardson, CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026
Even with the rapidly decreasing price of launching things into space, there are incredible technological and financial hurdles that stand in the way of exploiting resources in orbit.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 4 Feb. 2026
Party leaders and allies enrich themselves, exploiting national compassion to line their pockets.
—Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 4 Feb. 2026
Prosecutors said the former actor weaponized his reputation as a Lakota medicine man, exploiting cultural traditions and spiritual beliefs to prey on Indigenous women and girls.
—Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 31 Jan. 2026
These can include sabotaging infrastructure to foment unrest, subtly interfering with training exercises to undermine Arctic capabilities, and exploiting divisions in adversarial alliances.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 30 Jan. 2026
Google has now taken action against a raft of malicious apps exploiting its ecosystem and cloud services to attack phones.
—Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exploiting
Verb
-
Al-Bakoush, 58, appeared Friday afternoon in federal court in Washington, wearing a gray hoodie and using a wheelchair.—
ERIC TUCKER,
Arkansas Online,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Jason Wilbanks was charged with computer tampering, evidence tampering, using his office for personal gain, and soliciting to commit a drug crime.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Senior figures within the DA have accused one another of abusing power and manipulating state institutions, drawing South Africa’s anti-corruption watchdog into what is, in effect, an internal leadership battle.—
Sam Mkokeli,
semafor.com,
4 Feb. 2026
-
As expected, the arm opposite the brain injury often has major problems with weakness, stiffness and voluntary control, limiting its use for reaching, grasping and manipulating objects.—
Candice Maenza,
The Conversation,
2 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Following his 13-minute set, reviews began pouring in, with public figures utilizing social media to weigh in on the Grammy Award winner’s landmark performance.—
McKinley Franklin,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The Patriots scored a league-high 10 touchdowns utilizing jumbo formations this season.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The couple was accused of abusing Ethan and their 3-year-old son.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
6 Feb. 2026
-
According to the lawsuit, Myer allegedly began abusing his police powers against Gabriele in September 2021.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
According to Isaks, some gamblers will try to handicap these bets, applying some sort of statistical analysis to find an edge.—
David Hill,
Rolling Stone,
6 Feb. 2026
-
The brand is applying its expertise in sportswear materials to key apparel and footwear pieces, including Terrex Xperior Loose Fill hooded jackets, Frehiker 2 Gore-Tex Climawarm+ hiking shoes, and a jacket featuring innovative Primeknit construction.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
By leveraging light to enhance oxygen electrochemistry, the approach reduces energy losses and extends device lifetime without relying on precious metals.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Each event builds in attendance and attention, leveraging their prestige to bring together global namesakes and the best-of-the-best in exclusive marquee matches.—
Bradenton Herald Staff Reports,
Miami Herald,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Now, Yakitori is thriving, employing more people than ever and expanding its hours.—
Haadiza Ogwude,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
10 Feb. 2026
-
One practice that Swabb has been employing is adding unexpected artwork to rooms throughout her own home that need a bit of extra zing.—
Sarah Lyon,
The Spruce,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Expanding access to education and improving learning quality will require harnessing innovation and strengthening political will.—
Forbes.com,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
-
In the age of mainstream AI, designers are faced with the choice of harnessing the technology for their work or intentionally flouting it in favor of untouched human creativity.—
Amy O’Brien,
Vogue,
20 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Exploiting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exploiting. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
