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
At least 2,500 grades had been manipulated for different courses over the course of three years.
—
Alexandra Hardle, AZCentral.com, 3 Oct. 2025
Complicating matters is the insidious Host character (voiced by Len Cunningham’s father, Liam Cunningham), who manipulates the players’ reality.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 2 Oct. 2025
The beginner-friendly yarn is easy to manipulate and comes in seven bright colors.
—Pamela Brill, Parents, 2 Oct. 2025
Because they are trained on human language and behavior, these advanced models could potentially persuade and even manipulate humans to achieve their goals.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for manipulate
Alexandra Hardle, AZCentral.com, 3 Oct. 2025
Complicating matters is the insidious Host character (voiced by Len Cunningham’s father, Liam Cunningham), who manipulates the players’ reality.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 2 Oct. 2025
The beginner-friendly yarn is easy to manipulate and comes in seven bright colors.
—Pamela Brill, Parents, 2 Oct. 2025
Because they are trained on human language and behavior, these advanced models could potentially persuade and even manipulate humans to achieve their goals.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for manipulate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for manipulate
Verb
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This was something that Inter exploited particularly well in that thrilling Champions League semi-final, as rampaging wing-back Denzel Dumfries helped himself to two goals and three assists across both legs, the target of 14 long passes out to his flank.—
Thom Harris,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
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This kind of fraud, resembling that experienced by Anthony, exploits a person’s emotions, inciting fear and anxiety, by impersonating a grandchild or other family member in distress.—
Madhusree Mukerjee,
Scientific American,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Mannika trained as a sociologist at Columbia University and now manages product for tech companies.—
Hazlitt,
Hazlitt,
10 Oct. 2025
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However, alternatives require significant knowledge and expertise to manage effectively.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Hammon says Phoenix is now a destination franchise that should be attractive to any free agent when the cloud of negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement is lifted.—
Barry M. Bloom,
Sportico.com,
9 Oct. 2025
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Syria is in a vulnerable place and is not in position to negotiate from strength, especially as Sharaa tries to open Syria to the Western world, boost its economy and bring back the civil war refugees from neighboring countries.—
Mireille Rebeiz,
The Conversation,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Everton appear locked in a cycle where their starting No 9 flatters to deceive, is left out for the next game, but then the replacement fares little better.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
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Unfortunately, bank customers aren't always reimbursed when they're hit by some scams, including when they're deceived into making a payment to a con artist, such as in a romance scam.—
Susan Tompor,
Freep.com,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Carrying it around feels more like lugging a speaker than a dainty portable gadget, but that handle makes moving it between rooms surprisingly manageable.—
Jade Chung-Lee,
PC Magazine,
8 Oct. 2025
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Lindell handles very ugly, difficult matchups and usually comes out on top, regardless of who he’s partnered with.—
Harman Dayal,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Get our best clever painting hacks to extend the height of a room, space-saving storage ideas, and tips for arranging bedroom furniture.—
Abby Wolner,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Oct. 2025
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In other words, this year, the Eagles’ opponents are more often presenting four deep defenders against their three wide receiver sets instead of deploying a single-high safety and arranging the remaining defenders to play closer to the line of scrimmage.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But those plans can be quite narrow and ineffective for addressing flood damage.—
Tamia Fowlkes,
jsonline.com,
6 Oct. 2025
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The Homeless Congress aims to secure funding for an affordable housing trust fund to address the city's housing shortage.—
Elizabeth B. Kim,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Meta reinstated a three‑day requirement in September 2023 with enforcement up to performance hits or termination for noncompliance, citing internal data that in‑person work boosts engineering outcomes and keeping exceptions for originally remote hires.—
Nino Paoli,
Fortune,
9 Oct. 2025
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Instead, Taguchi’s team engineered Escherichia coli bacteria to function as tiny plastic factories.—
Tejasri Gururaj,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Manipulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manipulate. Accessed 11 Oct. 2025.
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