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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of manipulates
Just like Rodgers did a decade earlier, Prescott manipulates the flat defender (circled in red) and hits CeeDee Lamb in stride just behind the linebacker.
—
Mike Defabo, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Throughout the process, the robot simultaneously navigates, avoids obstacles, and manipulates objects without human guidance.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 3 Feb. 2026
Memory safety issues occur when software accesses or manipulates memory in an unintended way.
—IEEE Spectrum, 28 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, Luke and his fellow rebel demigods fall under Kronos’ influence as the Titan manipulates them into helping resurrect him.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Also, the fact that Stephen’s not physically intense, necessarily, but moreso manipulates mentally with mind games must bring its own challenges.
—Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 13 Jan. 2026
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
Mike Defabo, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Throughout the process, the robot simultaneously navigates, avoids obstacles, and manipulates objects without human guidance.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 3 Feb. 2026
Memory safety issues occur when software accesses or manipulates memory in an unintended way.
—IEEE Spectrum, 28 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, Luke and his fellow rebel demigods fall under Kronos’ influence as the Titan manipulates them into helping resurrect him.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Also, the fact that Stephen’s not physically intense, necessarily, but moreso manipulates mentally with mind games must bring its own challenges.
—Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 13 Jan. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for manipulates
Verb
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At the same time, the regime shamelessly exploits international sporting events to legitimize itself and whitewash its crimes.—
Benjamin Weinthal,
FOXNews.com,
7 Feb. 2026
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For Abercrombie & Fitch, fraud often exploits early refund programs and customer service escalation, according to Rob Sondergaard, the apparel retailer’s senior director of returns, fraud and abuse.—
Peter Sadera,
Sourcing Journal,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Hongkong Land remains one of the largest landlords in Central; the developer manages about $50 billion of assets overall.—
Angelica Ang,
Fortune,
5 Feb. 2026
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This layer assigns goals, manages priorities, and optimizes overall operations.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In a free online training module about music rights in sports, the ISU recommends skaters use the third-party platform called ClicknClear, which negotiates sports performance licenses for thousands of songs from Sony, Universal, Warner Music and others.—
Sara Germano,
Sportico.com,
3 Feb. 2026
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The agreement includes a stopgap measure to fund the Department of Homeland Security for two weeks, while Congress negotiates new rules and guardrails for federal immigration agents.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
30 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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Despite its compact form factor, the Pi handles a substantial workload.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Feb. 2026
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Goodfellas handles worldwide sales excluding Japan, Taiwan, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, CIS and Syria.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The idea of an in-person meeting is suggested, and several years later, Porter arranges it.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Jan. 2026
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The program has a booking agency that arranges travel, when needed, and a program consultant meets the player in his city to accompany him.—
Joe Smith,
New York Times,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Well, at least there’s a Super Bowl ad that addresses the frustration many may be feeling, courtesy of the company that provides pills for hair loss, weight loss and libido loss.—
Omar L. Gallaga,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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Texas addresses the ‘club’ issue One potential solution to this that is often discussed but never enforced is to sell a club-only ticket.—
Mac Engel
February 7,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Many are in critical mineral companies as the White House plots a strategy to directly back mining companies to build a domestic supply chain and reduce dependence on China.—
Spencer Kimball,
CNBC,
7 Feb. 2026
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For cyclists, the Coastal Bike Trail plots out a route to see the city and the harbor on two wheels.—
Carolyn Heller,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Manipulates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manipulates. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
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