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
Relevance
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
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 manipulate
Speed motions help receivers get free releases off the line of scrimmage against more aggressive cornerbacks and then manipulate angles and space in the second and third levels of the defense.
—
Jourdan Rodrigue, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
Voting is not a privilege for states to restrict or manipulate.
—Tom Lopach, Time, 17 Oct. 2025
Attackers often use voice-phishing calls or realistic fake apps to manipulate Salesforce administrators into installing malicious software.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2025
Having cultivated a collection of gut phages and bacterial hosts, scientists now have tangible targets to study and manipulate.
—New Atlas, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for manipulate
Jourdan Rodrigue, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
Voting is not a privilege for states to restrict or manipulate.
—Tom Lopach, Time, 17 Oct. 2025
Attackers often use voice-phishing calls or realistic fake apps to manipulate Salesforce administrators into installing malicious software.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2025
Having cultivated a collection of gut phages and bacterial hosts, scientists now have tangible targets to study and manipulate.
—New Atlas, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for manipulate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for manipulate
Verb
-
In theory, Slot’s tactical out-of-possession shuffle to a staggered 4-3-3 should help Liverpool to defend on their right flank, but the ease with which Chelsea exploited the space was a culmination of weeks of warning signs.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
-
What figures such as Tate, Caz, Maalouf, and others are doing is exploiting civil instability and installing themselves as truth-tellers in a society where experts can’t be trusted.—
T. M. Brown,
New Yorker,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
This means astronauts will have to diagnose, treat, and manage crises without ground support, even if a crew member becomes incapacitated.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Oct. 2025
-
The chicken scene generally captures the way Orlean can cast a thoughtful eye over her life’s experiences and still manage to be funny while not dismissing the darts life threw at her.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The White House has not yet negotiated lower prices on IVF drugs from other manufacturers.—
Aria Bendix,
NBC news,
16 Oct. 2025
-
The only long-term solution — in my view — is a Palestinian state in Gaza and the West Bank whose borders are negotiated with Israel.—
Thomas L. Friedman,
Mercury News,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Despite being deceived, Stone, who dated Garfield for four years, conceded that the actor's dedication to the secret was honorable.—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
20 Oct. 2025
-
That’s 14 years of dreaming, dissolving, romanticizing, escaping, and sometimes deceiving ourselves.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The utility also has detention basins at its Peak Flow Attenuation Facility, located off Scott Hamilton Drive, that are meant to allow the system to handle significant rain events.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Thankfully, our providers handled our pregnancy with so much care and grace knowing our history.—
Hannah Nwoko,
Parents,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In a feat of logistics, the production miraculously arranged the shooting schedule so that every principal actor’s final scene on the show was also their last day of filming — something the Duffers have been freshly reliving again and again in the edit bay.—
Kate Aurthur,
Variety,
15 Oct. 2025
-
However, for years, police suspected that Charles arranged the murder of Markel.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Ticketmaster is trying to address the lawsuit filed by the Federal Trade Commission with several moves intended to block scalpers from abusing the platform.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
21 Oct. 2025
-
The first round recommendations were drawn up by the Statewide K-12 Graduation Council, assembled by the governor to address the issue in the wake of last year’s election.—
Grace Zokovitch,
Boston Herald,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Designed with an amalgamation of pure engineering and engineered for theatrical performance, the bridge literally breathes fire and water.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Oct. 2025
-
In pursuit of pollution reduction—and the potential shot in the arm of industrial growth—Caravel aims to engineer new enzymes and processes that facilitate low-cost, low-energy chemical manufacturing.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Sourcing Journal,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Manipulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manipulate. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share