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
China has manipulated the market by suppressing prices to drive Western competition from the market, said Ryan Castilloux, founder of Adamas Intelligence, a critical mineral market research firm.
—
Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 28 Sep. 2025
Lack of free and fair elections, with leaders manipulating the system to remain in power.
—Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 28 Sep. 2025
And that won't get manipulated for political reasons and taken out of context.
—Saajan Jogia, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
With Danny held hostage, Maria’s life begins to flourish and that star pupil, Pauline, inches ever-closer to her favorite docent as sympathies slip away and oscillate between characters, the film making quick work of manipulating mounting emotions.
—Holly Jones, Variety, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for manipulate
Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 28 Sep. 2025
Lack of free and fair elections, with leaders manipulating the system to remain in power.
—Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 28 Sep. 2025
And that won't get manipulated for political reasons and taken out of context.
—Saajan Jogia, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
With Danny held hostage, Maria’s life begins to flourish and that star pupil, Pauline, inches ever-closer to her favorite docent as sympathies slip away and oscillate between characters, the film making quick work of manipulating mounting emotions.
—Holly Jones, Variety, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for manipulate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for manipulate
Verb
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State-of-the-art dilution refrigerators exploit mixtures of helium-3 and helium-4 to cool qubits down to millikelvin temperatures where fragile quantum states can persist.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Sep. 2025
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That each and every one of us has a role to play in standing up against authoritarian powers that want to exploit our differences for their own gain.—
Hayes Madsen,
Rolling Stone,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The dispute affected educators and policymakers statewide — but Pendleton managed to take the best of both literacy methods and apply them to the 130,000-plus students then enrolled in San Diego schools, Lopez said.—
Jemma Stephenson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Sep. 2025
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This was big news in an evolving saga of how college athletics departments, facing seismic financial change, would manage to cope with growing costs like revenue-sharing with athletes.—
Eben Novy-Williams,
Sportico.com,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The deal was negotiated by Piantedosi and Manager of Acquisitions and Sales Rachel White on behalf of Vertical and by CAA Media Finance on behalf of the filmmakers.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
25 Sep. 2025
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The Obama Administration secretly negotiated the Iran nuclear deal without consulting GCC capitals.—
Firas Maksad,
Time,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The lawsuit, filed by the FTC in June 2023 under the Biden administration, claimed that Amazon deceived tens of millions of customers into signing up for its Prime subscription program and sabotaged their attempts to cancel it.—
Annie Palmer,
CNBC,
25 Sep. 2025
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At its worst, AI can be used by bad actors and content farms to confuse or deceive listeners, push ‘slop’ into the ecosystem, and interfere with authentic artists working to build their careers.—
Abid Rahman,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Still, some industry critics have said Peloton's equipment isn't appropriate for gym settings because the machines can't handle higher frequency use, which prompted the company to create a more durable lineup.—
Gabrielle Fonrouge,
CNBC,
1 Oct. 2025
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Democrats say health care protections must be preserved, while Republicans say that funding and policy should be handled separately.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Sonar revealed ancient relics along the sea floor, including a series of colossal structures standing 20 feet high and arranged in rows, as well as several anchors and amphora.—
Jennifer Ouellette,
ArsTechnica,
24 Sep. 2025
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But Bradley’s not super bothered, because her informant has messaged her and arranged a meeting in Central Park.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But his remarks, which will be livestreamed to the public, will also provide a prime photo opportunity with Hegseth addressing hundreds of top military generals as their boss.—
Anne Flaherty,
ABC News,
30 Sep. 2025
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But neither publication addresses how this factor might explain trend shifts in hospital visits or how to zero in on that.—
Joan Meiners,
AZCentral.com,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Blue Water Autonomy’s unmanned surface vessels are engineered for long-endurance deployments with thousands of nautical miles of range.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Sep. 2025
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The transfer from Tulsa blessed with a nice arm and fast feet has engineered two consecutive victories and will start his third consecutive game on Saturday night when Cal Poly of San Luis Obispo visits Hornet Stadium for a Big Sky Conference opener.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
25 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Manipulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manipulate. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.
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