1
as in exploits
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 manages
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 negotiates
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 manipulates
An onboard synthesizer manipulates a small set of core sounds to mimic everything from the roar of a jet plane to the flushing of a toilet through a little speaker in the Brick.
—
New Atlas, 6 Jan. 2026
Vecna psychically finds Hopper (David Harbour) and manipulates him to break the tank, cutting off the psychic link for her, Kali, and Max.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Jan. 2026
The result is a film that openly manipulates its viewers, toggling between Christmas magic and cathartic brutality — including a deliberately crowd-pleasing Nazi massacre — to secure audience allegiance.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 15 Dec. 2025
Keeping his fanboy origins a secret, Matthew manipulates his way into Oliver’s inner circle using little more than flattery and an understanding of social-media-age mores.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
The Overlook Hotel is, yes, sinister and even demonic, taunting Jack Torrance with bizarre visions that Kubrick manipulates to create a mounting sense of dread.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 30 Oct. 2025
This created a tunable metasurface, a structured layer that manipulates how waves interact with the surface, allowing the coating to absorb radar signals across various frequencies.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2025
Inspired by her antihero, DaCosta manipulates Ibsen to suit her own goals.
—Amy Nicholson, Twin Cities, 23 Oct. 2025
Complicating matters is the insidious Host character (voiced by Len Cunningham’s father, Liam Cunningham), who manipulates the players’ reality.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 2 Oct. 2025
New Atlas, 6 Jan. 2026
Vecna psychically finds Hopper (David Harbour) and manipulates him to break the tank, cutting off the psychic link for her, Kali, and Max.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Jan. 2026
The result is a film that openly manipulates its viewers, toggling between Christmas magic and cathartic brutality — including a deliberately crowd-pleasing Nazi massacre — to secure audience allegiance.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 15 Dec. 2025
Keeping his fanboy origins a secret, Matthew manipulates his way into Oliver’s inner circle using little more than flattery and an understanding of social-media-age mores.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
The Overlook Hotel is, yes, sinister and even demonic, taunting Jack Torrance with bizarre visions that Kubrick manipulates to create a mounting sense of dread.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 30 Oct. 2025
This created a tunable metasurface, a structured layer that manipulates how waves interact with the surface, allowing the coating to absorb radar signals across various frequencies.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2025
Inspired by her antihero, DaCosta manipulates Ibsen to suit her own goals.
—Amy Nicholson, Twin Cities, 23 Oct. 2025
Complicating matters is the insidious Host character (voiced by Len Cunningham’s father, Liam Cunningham), who manipulates the players’ reality.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 2 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for manipulates
Verb
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All the while, Tony Award winning director David Cromer (The Band’s Visit) exploits audience suspicion.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Jan. 2026
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And nobody exploits a flaw quite like a cornered Shanahan.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Sammie manages to escape, though he's pursued by Remmick.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Jan. 2026
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Day has previously stated that his force will not assist in immigration enforcement operations, but noted that Portland Police manages public safety in the surrounding neighborhoods during demonstrations.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Wubble then negotiates a deal and offers a one-time payment for their work, at rates Roy argues are more competitive than other companies offering music streaming services.—
Angelica Ang,
Fortune,
9 Jan. 2026
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And any player who negotiates an opt-out will want to give himself the best chance to succeed right away.—
Ken Rosenthal,
New York Times,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In a statement issued Friday, the commission accused X of using its 'blue checkmark' in a way that deceives users.—
Mary Cunningham,
CBS News,
5 Dec. 2025
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The fragmentary Ni 12501 tablet from the Early Dynastic III period of Mesopotamia breaks off when Fox deceives the inhabitants of the netherworld in his quest to retrieve the storm god Ishkur.—
Rafil Kroll-Zaidi,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Eric handles the role of the older Simms, while Finn plays the character in flashback scenes — including a jarring opening sequence of him in action.—
Brenton Blanchet,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
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Kaufmann was first elected to the Iowa House in 2012 and previously served as the chair of the Ways and Means Committee, which handles tax policy.—
Stephen Gruber-Miller,
Des Moines Register,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Organized Tours The most common option is booking an organized tour where the company arranges your transportation.—
Staff Author,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Jan. 2026
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That changes in episode 6, when Nate (Colm Feore) arranges a meeting between Rebecca and M-Tex’s resident geologist.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
21 Dec. 2025
Verb
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According to Taylor, the best mask is the one that addresses what your hair actually needs at that moment.—
Lily Wohlner,
Allure,
11 Jan. 2026
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Safety through advanced technology Safety remains the primary concern for any personal aircraft, and Plaut addresses this through extreme hardware redundancy.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Thus begins a thorny relationship in which Jules plots vengeance, though their dynamic soon takes a fascinating turn.—
Ilana Gordon,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Dec. 2025
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Bad Santa follows an alcoholic scammer named Willie (Thornton) who poses as a mall Santa and plots to rob the stores on Christmas Eve with his sidekick, Marcus (Tony Cox).—
Lydia Price,
PEOPLE,
23 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Manipulates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manipulates. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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