Synonyms of manipulating

manipulating

verb

present participle of manipulate

1

as in exploiting

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

• exploiting
• deceiving
• playing (upon)
• maneuvering
• tricking
• plotting
• fooling
• jockeying
• engineering
• duping
• devising
• deluding
• hoodwinking
• scheming
• arranging
• intriguing
• defrauding
• bluffing
• cheating
• gulling
• swindling
• conning
• masterminding
• kidding
• finagling
• fleecing
• hoaxing
• contriving
• finessing
• chiseling
• snowing
• taking in
• beguiling
• machinating
• cozening
• shanghaiing
• hustling

2

as in managing

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

• managing
• handling
• addressing
• treating
• negotiating
• taking
• playing
• maneuvering
• hacking
• swinging
• coping (with)
• fielding
• grappling (with)
• controlling
• contending (with)
• pulling
• coming to grips with
• regulating
• jockeying
• having a grip on
• guiding
• engineering
• carrying out
• directing
• steering
• finessing
• getting off
• carrying off
• commanding
• responding (to)
• reacting (to)
• micromanaging
• bringing off
• running

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• fumbling
• mishandling
• bungling
• botching
• messing (up)
• muffing
• goofing (up)
• scamping
• lousing up
• foozling

3

as in negotiating

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

• negotiating
• arranging
• plotting
• managing
• engineering
• maneuvering
• contriving
• framing
• masterminding
• finessing
• wangling
• machinating
• finagling
• concluding
• scheming
• conducting
• concocting
• handling
• conniving
• directing
• concerting
• working out
• hammering out
• intriguing
• hatching
• compassing
• brewing
• angling (for)
• commanding
• cooking (up)
• running
• gerrymandering
• quarterbacking
• captaining

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• blowing
• mangling
• fumbling
• mishandling
• butchering
• bungling
• botching
• messing (up)
• gumming (up)
• flubbing
• bobbling
• muffing
• lousing up

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of manipulating

The scenarios in which these tradeoffs may take place are wide-ranging, with the Anthropic researchers citing opening an auto plant, downsizing a company, and manipulating election sentiment as examples. — Trevor Laurence Jockims, CNBC, 8 Nov. 2026

The former Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley recently pleaded guilty to manipulating his prop bets. — New Yorker, 8 Nov. 2026

Chen has become even more adept at manipulating her voice, both in delivery and in the mix. — James Gui, Pitchfork, 4 Nov. 2026

Cyberattacks against supermarket refrigeration systems have disrupted grocery operations across Europe, with hackers remotely manipulating temperature controls and destroying perishable food. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 2 Nov. 2026

Apple says the feature can also be used for more advanced tasks, including manipulating 3D models and playing virtual musical instruments. — ABC News, 29 Oct. 2026

Some see promise in manipulating the gut microbiome; others are exploring the potential of stimulating the vagus nerve, eliciting a psychedelic experience or repurposing drugs that might quiet inflammation in the brain. — Lynne Peeples, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2026

The party has a long history of manipulating stock prices to ensure punters make money on their bets, or at least limit their losses. — Andy Browne, semafor.com, 27 Oct. 2026

The Bruins opted to play a clock management game, running out the entire fourth quarter with a multi-score lead instead of taking shots downfield and manipulating the defense through the air. — Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026