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

This gave the team control over the motor’s movement without physically manipulating it. — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026

The 18-year-old is suspected of manipulating an Indiana teen over a social platform into harming herself and taking her own life, according to prosecutors in Germany. — ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026

As financial institutions strengthen their defenses, criminals are increasingly manipulating consumers into handing over credentials or authorizing payments themselves, rather than attempting to bypass bank security controls, Williamson said. — Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026

Is Holmes’ partner standing by the mother of his children or manipulating her? — Matthew Herper, STAT, 20 Oct. 2026

She was also seen taking photos and manipulating notebooks on the victim’s desk, the police affidavit said. — Eduardo Cuevas, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026

Gandhi has alleged that the SIR is an instrument for manipulating elections. — Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026

Instead of filming hands of actual workers, young men with GoPro cameras strapped to their heads record themselves doing jobs while holding and manipulating what look like grippy robot claws. — Diaa Hadid, NPR, 14 Oct. 2026

Present-day police work reflects our current economic order by placing a high value on manipulating such immaterialities. — Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026