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
Relevance
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
John was accused of manipulating Malvo to serve as his partner in the shootings.
—
Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2025
Officials later issued fines to the other teams that helped manipulate the race.
—Jordan Bianchi, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
Rozier’s arrest was tied to allegations of manipulating in-game statistics to benefit betting operations, while Billups was accused of participating in illicit poker events connected to the criminal network.
—Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 23 Oct. 2025
Ranging between microwaves and infrared light, these electromagnetic frequencies promise ultrafast wireless links but are very difficult to create and manipulate efficiently.
—Meghie Rodrigues, IEEE Spectrum, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for manipulate
Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2025
Officials later issued fines to the other teams that helped manipulate the race.
—Jordan Bianchi, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
Rozier’s arrest was tied to allegations of manipulating in-game statistics to benefit betting operations, while Billups was accused of participating in illicit poker events connected to the criminal network.
—Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 23 Oct. 2025
Ranging between microwaves and infrared light, these electromagnetic frequencies promise ultrafast wireless links but are very difficult to create and manipulate efficiently.
—Meghie Rodrigues, IEEE Spectrum, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for manipulate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for manipulate
Verb
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Fentanyl poisoners who harm and exploit others will be held accountable.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Oct. 2025
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The outlet said it has long been alleged that Andrew exploited the role to gain personal access to wealthy individuals.—
Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa,
FOXNews.com,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In a 30-minute interview, Martin defended how the party has been managing its internal divisions, and pushed back at Republicans who have accused Democrats of embracing violence and radical politics.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
31 Oct. 2025
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Ancelotti had great success in managing Vinicius Jr, who is now having problems with Alonso.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Hunter has set himself a very fine amount of emotional and physical space within which to work, and there’s pleasure in watching Metcalf and Stock negotiate the tiptoeing way Sarah and Ethan grow closer.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
31 Oct. 2025
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The houses, often apartments inside the city’s tall residential buildings, strike so much fear among residents that anyone willing to live there can negotiate hefty discounts in one of the world’s most expensive property markets.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In fact, the term itself was an epithet throughout the founding era, a way to describe ignorant and easily deceived popular majorities, perpetually vulnerable to demagogues.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
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Of course someone like Denji would fall for it, and in a way, the desire to be deceived is actually an important aspect of romantic feelings.—
Billboard Japan,
Billboard,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Chelsea Boots Chaco Fields Chelsea Waterproof For easy, versatile fall footwear, pack a boot that can handle everything from a simple hike to a reservation at a restaurant for dinner.—
Kelsey Glennon,
Travel + Leisure,
29 Oct. 2025
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Barrymore, whose daughter Olive just turned 13, turned to Falco to ask her advice on how to handle some of the ups and downs of teenagehood.—
Hannah Sacks,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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There were also individual, isolated nests, which were typically larger than any that were arranged in a specific shape, according to the study.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
29 Oct. 2025
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To make matters worse, none of the wedding flowers had been purchased or arranged.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In August 1996, Queen Elizabeth issued a new letters patent to address the issue of HRH (His/Her Royal Highness) stylings following a divorce within the royal family.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
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The team at Mynerva, a spinoff company from ETH Zurich, has developed a way to address this with smart textiles and AI processing, over the past five years.—
Abhimanyu Ghoshal,
New Atlas,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The silky fibers are smartly engineered to absorb moisture and promote airflow, helping even the warmest sleepers stay comfortable all night long.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
31 Oct. 2025
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The Russian 9x19mm 7N31 cartridge is specially engineered to defeat modern body armor while maintaining effectiveness against unarmored targets.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Manipulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manipulate. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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