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
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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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of manipulating
Another method involves manipulating routing through Border Gateway Protocol (BGP).
—
Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 4 May 2026
However, manipulating elections or even giving the appearance of fixing an election is what an anti-Democracy person would do.
—Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 3 May 2026
No one is better at manipulating the system and drawing questionable calls than SGA.
—Jon Root Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2026
He is accused of lying his way onto the staff in the first place, manipulating young, female and minority employees to cover his tracks and sowing an environment of fear within the organization, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
—Irene Wright, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2026
This can involve pretending to be an IT customer support and manipulating an employee at a target company into handing over internal access.
—Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 24 Apr. 2026
But even then, our team of artists got in there and just started manipulating things.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 20 Apr. 2026
The duo greatly expanded their sample library, ripping random melodies from thrift-store records and manipulating their own field recordings.
—Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 16 Apr. 2026
Trump is manipulating the markets.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2026
Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 4 May 2026
However, manipulating elections or even giving the appearance of fixing an election is what an anti-Democracy person would do.
—Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 3 May 2026
No one is better at manipulating the system and drawing questionable calls than SGA.
—Jon Root Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2026
He is accused of lying his way onto the staff in the first place, manipulating young, female and minority employees to cover his tracks and sowing an environment of fear within the organization, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
—Irene Wright, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2026
This can involve pretending to be an IT customer support and manipulating an employee at a target company into handing over internal access.
—Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 24 Apr. 2026
But even then, our team of artists got in there and just started manipulating things.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 20 Apr. 2026
The duo greatly expanded their sample library, ripping random melodies from thrift-store records and manipulating their own field recordings.
—Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 16 Apr. 2026
Trump is manipulating the markets.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for manipulating
Verb
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Alexander Isak’s ability to stretch the pitch could give an under-strength Manchester United back line a problem, while Florian Wirtz is capable of exploiting space in between the lines.—
Graham Ruthven,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
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The human cost of finding and exploiting bugs may approach zero, but fixing them won’t.—
Evan Johnson,
IEEE Spectrum,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Spectra has been involved in the downtown Hartford apartment market for more than a decade, developing or managing more than 700 units.—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
3 May 2026
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The poll finds Trump is also underwater on managing every issue measured, as two-thirds of Americans say the country is headed in the wrong direction and Democrats' midterm lead over Republicans has increased slightly to 5 points.—
Emily Guskin,
ABC News,
3 May 2026
Verb
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Marandi served as an adviser to Iran’s negotiating team during the 2015 nuclear talks and still has close ties to the Iranian government.—
Michael Collins,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
-
The sides having been negotiating since the summer of 2024, and the NFL had begun the hiring process for replacement officials last month.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Her The Wife nods and supports, all knowingly without deceiving the emotional truths of the narrative.—
Chris Feil,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
-
Swalwell apparently did an excellent job deceiving those around him, including some congressional and campaign staffers who’d known him for years and worked closely with the seven-term lawmaker, day in, day out.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Veterans is handling international sales, with domestic distribution rights represented by CAA Media Finance.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
7 May 2026
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The film is being launched as a package on the Cannes Marché du Film, with The Veterans repping international sales rights and CAA Media Finance handling domestic.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Such pairings are one of Wilson’s strengths, his eye for portraiture matched by his skill for arranging images on the page.—
Casey Cep,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
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Others kick things up by arranging private beach bonfires in the evening, catamaran outings by day, surf lessons with Engstrom Surf, and even customized tarot card readings.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Venus in your 2nd House pulls you toward comfort or keeping things easy instead of addressing it fully.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
4 May 2026
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Similarly, with the CARE Court and initiatives addressing drug use and mental health, a strong clinical component is essential — good intentions alone are not enough.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
Stuart’s prose is gorgeous and his plotting strategic; nothing is lost.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 May 2026
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Patrick Reed has also left the circuit and is plotting a return via his performances on the DP World Tour.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Manipulating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manipulating. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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