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
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
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for manipulates
Verb
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Much as a private security company exploits rising risks to increase the cost of its services, Washington exploits European vulnerability and enjoys the attendant escalation of tension between Russia and its European allies.—
Ivan Krastev,
Time,
21 Jan. 2026
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While the American military base RDA relentlessly exploits Pandora, Sully and his family seek refuge with the reef-dwelling, aquatic clan of Metkayina.—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM) manages the fund on behalf of the Norwegian population.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
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This person the one who manages your manager.—
Sho Dewan,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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OneTeam Partners negotiates media deals and leverages players’ name, image and licensing rights.—
David Carrillo Peñaloza,
New York Times,
23 Jan. 2026
-
President Peter Mutharika, who returned to power in October after vowing to revive the country’s ailing economy, is trying to improve the government’s finances as the country negotiates a new IMF support package.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
21 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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Unlike end-of-life recycling plants, the CRCC primarily handles unused cells and residues from pilot production.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Jan. 2026
-
ChatGPT handles the thinking work that used to require a whole team.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 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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An employee arranges a salad dressing display at an Amazon Fresh grocery store on December 12, 2024 in Federal Way, Washington.—
Annie Palmer,
CNBC,
27 Jan. 2026
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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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
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The teacher then plots revenge by secretly staging the most wildly inappropriate musical imaginable to sabotage the principal’s bid for academic glory.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
21 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Manipulates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manipulates. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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