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
The report, released Friday, downplayed the extent of Russian interference in the 2016 election by highlighting Obama administration emails showing officials had concluded before and after the presidential race that Moscow had not hacked state election systems to manipulate votes in Trump's favor.
—
Dan Gooding
gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 July 2025
And these two will maneuver, manipulate, and murder anyone who gets in their way.
—EW.com, 22 July 2025
The cloning technique was said to be more reliable than the one used to create Dolly the sheep, and provided scientists with greater ability to manipulate the adult donor nucleus and study the roles genes play in aging and disease processes.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 July 2025
Even a congressional candidate has alleged that humans manipulated the weather behind the Fourth of July weekend floods in Texas, which left at least 120 people dead and more than 170 still missing.
—Brandi D. Addison, Austin American Statesman, 12 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for manipulate
Dan Gooding
gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 July 2025
And these two will maneuver, manipulate, and murder anyone who gets in their way.
—EW.com, 22 July 2025
The cloning technique was said to be more reliable than the one used to create Dolly the sheep, and provided scientists with greater ability to manipulate the adult donor nucleus and study the roles genes play in aging and disease processes.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 July 2025
Even a congressional candidate has alleged that humans manipulated the weather behind the Fourth of July weekend floods in Texas, which left at least 120 people dead and more than 170 still missing.
—Brandi D. Addison, Austin American Statesman, 12 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for manipulate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for manipulate
Verb
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In many instances, the legitimate owner is unaware that their addresses are being exploited.—
Vincentas Grinius,
Forbes.com,
1 Aug. 2025
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Microsoft said its analysis showed that Chinese hackers were exploiting SharePoint weaknesses as early as July 7.—
Renee Dudley,
ProPublica,
1 Aug. 2025
Verb
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He was transferred to Hospice Austin's Christopher House, where his nausea and pain are being managed.—
Lily Kepner,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
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The rookie managed to escape unscathed, however, striking out Ty France and forcing Vazquez into an inning-ending double play.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
29 July 2025
Verb
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The proposal by the Commission was negotiated behind closed doors and largely held secret until the final draft was approved.—
Jon McGowan,
Forbes.com,
24 July 2025
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This month, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro negotiated a prisoner swap with the United States, releasing 10 American citizens in his custody and dozens of Venezuelan political prisoners.—
Gisela Salim-Peyer,
The Atlantic,
24 July 2025
Verb
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As Venus clashes with Pluto, looks can be deceiving.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
2 Aug. 2025
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Their favorite strategies for deceiving or undermining cyber-defense systems and applications include self-modifying malware and automated phishing efforts.—
Chuck Brooks,
Forbes.com,
1 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The next court hearing, Dugan said, could be handled over Zoom.—
Daniel Bice,
jsonline.com,
30 July 2025
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Dhillon said that the division will monitor how local authorities handle this incident.—
Erin Glynn,
The Enquirer,
29 July 2025
Verb
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Horowitz spent decades arranging for Sondheim’s archives to come to the Library of Congress.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
13 July 2025
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The controversy comes at a time the United States is trying to arrange a ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas.—
Amira El-Fekki,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 July 2025
Verb
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City leaders addressed concerns about rising crime and the portrayal of the incident in the media.—
Scott Wartman,
The Enquirer,
2 Aug. 2025
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The complaint contends that that agreement did not address future clients and that Garza was later made aware that the McKeens would be starting a competing law firm.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
2 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Takeaway: Move fast, but only on systems engineered to hold the weight.—
Kevin Meyer,
Forbes.com,
25 July 2025
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Fortunately, Red Sox chief of baseball operations Craig Breslow was astute enough in the offseason to engineer a trade with the New York Yankees, bringing in largely unheralded rookie catcher Carlos Narvaez for pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz.—
Jon Vankin,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Manipulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manipulate. Accessed 8 Aug. 2025.
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