MANIPULATING Synonyms: 101 Similar and Opposite Words

manipulating

verb

present participle of manipulate

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

Relevance

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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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 manipulating Fears of government officials manipulating world events – including the Iran war – to make a quick buck. —

Matt Motta, The Conversation, 16 June 2026 What online scammers are looking to steal The FBI issued a warning last month that cybercriminals are manipulating or reproducing the official FIFA World Cup website to scam fans who are looking for tickets, hospitality packages, merchandise, streaming access and betting opportunities. —

Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026 This week alone, the stories have been about American investigations into claims FIFA has been manipulating ticket prices, Africa’s best referee being denied a visa on security concerns, fears about an escalation in the US-Iran conflict, strikes and shootings. —

Matt Slater, New York Times, 10 June 2026 Like Muir, Lustmord’s Brian Williams creates harrowing, light-devouring music by digitally manipulating a vast library of sounds he’s collected via sampling and field recording. —

Brad Sanders, Pitchfork, 8 June 2026 The ever-expanding, replicating, and manipulating series of rooms take scraps and memories of those who pass through it, expanding into something that defies personality or ease. —

Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 2 June 2026 Uribe sued Cepeda for allegedly manipulating witnesses, but the Supreme Court cleared Cepeda of wrongdoing. —

Chad De Guzman, Time, 1 June 2026 Even as topics of AI creation loom, Oakey sees potential in manipulating technology all over again and seeing what results this time around. —

Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 28 May 2026 Unlike vision-only systems, Atlas relies heavily on proprioception—internal sensing of body position, load, balance, grip, and resistance—while manipulating objects. —

Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 27 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for manipulating

Verb

The team says its approach offers a new way to tune these light sources by exploiting the unique layered structure of hBN, a material that can be repeatedly separated, twisted, and reassembled.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 19 June 2026
Daniel Emilio Rodriguez, 35, of Sanford, recorded himself raping, molesting and exploiting the girl over the course of two years and also masturbated in front of her and a 10-year-old male relative, prosecutors say.

— Silas Morgan, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 June 2026