1
as in to exploit
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 to manage
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 to negotiate
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 manipulate
In November, a man manipulated a credit-card machine to steal almost $10,000 worth of Pokémon and baseball cards from Tom Brady’s Card Vault store in Soho.
—
Clio Chang, Curbed, 23 Jan. 2026
Hitler manipulated science to prove his theories about race.
—Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2026
The deal is intended to loosen TikTok’s ties to China and address national security concerns that Beijing could use the app to surveil or manipulate its more than 200 million users in the United States.
—David McCabe, Chicago Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026
The body says the government manipulated the facts around the death.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for manipulate
Clio Chang, Curbed, 23 Jan. 2026
Hitler manipulated science to prove his theories about race.
—Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2026
The deal is intended to loosen TikTok’s ties to China and address national security concerns that Beijing could use the app to surveil or manipulate its more than 200 million users in the United States.
—David McCabe, Chicago Tribune, 23 Jan. 2026
The body says the government manipulated the facts around the death.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for manipulate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for manipulate
Verb
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Violent confrontations targeting Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minnesota are being driven by outside actors exploiting chaos, not organic protest, according to a protest insider warning that the situation is rapidly spiraling.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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Instead, it was siphoned off and exploited.—
Jennifer Nassour,
Boston Herald,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The side managed by former Kazakhstan international Rafael Urazbakhtin have now lost four games in a row in the Champions League.—
Will Jeanes,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026
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Bad things always linger, but usually at the margins, where they're somewhat easily managed.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Such cover is often used in sectors such as agriculture – with pay-outs for farmers when a flood of a set magnitude occurs, for example – and provides policyholders with a speedy settlement, rather than requiring them to negotiate with loss adjusters.—
David Prosser,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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During his insulated schooling and military training, nobody told Joseph that South Africa’s white civilian leaders had changed their view of Mandela and were beginning to negotiate with him.—
Eve Fairbanks,
The Dial,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Although appearances can be deceiving.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Jan. 2026
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Ah, but appearances can be deceiving.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Perception is handled through a dual-lidar setup consisting of Halo and Sentinel systems.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Jan. 2026
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Questions regarding vehicle maintenance and specifications are handled by the City of Chicago's Fleet & Facility Management department, which manages all municipal equipment.—
Jermont Terry,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Schnell said his department routinely communicates with ICE in the weeks before an incarcerated person's release to arrange handoffs if a detainer is in place.—
Nicole Sganga,
CBS News,
22 Jan. 2026
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Hassan Shafeeu, our Essentialist (Patina’s answer to private butlers), is available around-the-clock via WhatsApp to arrange dinner reservations, drop off snorkeling kits, and share the best spots for baby shark sightings.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Pickard founded The Mind Company after noticing a gap that few were addressing.—
Rodger Dean Duncan,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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Uhlaender addressed the announcement in a statement to Fox News Digital.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Marvell’s custom XPUs (AI accelerators) are specifically engineered for these unique workloads.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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Ecoldbrew, engineered by a team of designers with experience working for brands like Xiaomi, Philips, De’Longhi and Ningbo Borine, is a portable compact coffee machine that fits 40-oz Stanley tumblers or its own custom container.—
Shirl Leigh
January 22,
New Atlas,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Manipulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manipulate. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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