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
Relevance
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
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
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
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One of the first allegations that Epstein was exploiting his associations with the modeling world appeared in a police report filed in 1997 in California.—
Curt Devine,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
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Dynamic pricing is simply an algorithm created to achieve that by exploiting market power.—
Stefan Szymanski,
Fortune,
12 June 2026
Verb
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The Spurs jumped out to a 29-point lead in Game 4 at Madison Square Garden before turning into a shell of themselves, somehow managing to give up the massive lead and hand the Knicks the largest comeback in NBA Finals history.—
Mark Harris OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2026
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France have been to the final of the last two World Cups and have deep experience of managing pressure in late rounds, and would be expected to see off the likes of Germany and The Netherlands on their way to the semifinal.—
Sam Leveridge,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
Verb
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Much of the present state, Taylor notes, is a result of historic misalignment of incentives, between a retailer’s trade teams—some of whom are focused on negotiating margins from suppliers in exchange for promotions and the retail media teams whose charge is to generate new revenue.—
David Doty,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
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Esmail Qaani, the commander of the IRGC’s Quds Force, offered his gratitude and personal endorsement to Ghalibaf and the rest of the negotiating team.—
Hamidreza Azizi,
Time,
19 June 2026
Verb
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But O’Malley writes that this is deceiving.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
9 June 2026
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He was also accused of deceiving escrow agents to secure the release of pre-construction condo deposits and then misappropriated those funds for personal expenses unrelated to the developments.—
Jay Weaver
June 6,
Miami Herald,
6 June 2026
Verb
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The federal judge handling the case has scheduled a hearing for next month to determine whether federal prosecutors should face sanctions in the case.—
Todd Feurer,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
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Human resources specialists These workers oversee hiring, orientation and ongoing support for employees, handling recruitment, benefits and workplace concerns.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
Verb
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Angelina Guatemala, 64, counted on federal food stamps after retiring a couple of years ago in Ogden, Kansas, from assorted jobs arranging flowers, decorating cakes in shops, and preparing meals.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
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Let the flowers rest in the bucket of water for an hour to rehydrate fully before arranging them.—
Viveka Neveln,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 June 2026
Verb
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The event is Canada’s largest TV gathering, with today’s keynotes including CRTC’s Vicky Eatrides addressing plans to reform the country’s television tax break system and Netflix’s Jinny Howe delivering a keynote.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
15 June 2026
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At the top of the pile are strengthening economic ties, investment partnerships and the critical mineral supply chain as well as other global pressing issues such as innovation, AI and addressing the Ebola outbreak.—
Franco Ordoñez,
NPR,
14 June 2026
Verb
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Kainerugaba has threatened to hang Besigye, accusing him of plotting to kill Museveni.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 June 2026
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Hidden amongst them are the Werewolves, a secret set plotting to eliminate players one by one and steal the prize.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Manipulating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manipulating. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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