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
On May 29, a sheriff's deputy responded to a report of fraud involving an elderly couple who said they had been manipulated into handing over approximately $28,000.
—
Kassia Bonesteel, CBS News, 4 June 2026
Once again, Davila was asked to manipulate the yellow cards — with J Col wanting five bookings between both teams in the rematch with Sydney FC.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 4 June 2026
Lawmakers in Washington have been particularly concerned about how people with insider information could manipulate the markets and defraud other bettors.
—Bobby Allyn, NPR, 2 June 2026
By Erik Larson, Bloomberg Famed short seller Andrew Left faces the possibility of decades behind bars after being found guilty of using disingenuous social media posts to manipulate stocks, in a landmark case that threatens to chill a broader trading strategy loathed by corporate executives.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for manipulate
Kassia Bonesteel, CBS News, 4 June 2026
Once again, Davila was asked to manipulate the yellow cards — with J Col wanting five bookings between both teams in the rematch with Sydney FC.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 4 June 2026
Lawmakers in Washington have been particularly concerned about how people with insider information could manipulate the markets and defraud other bettors.
—Bobby Allyn, NPR, 2 June 2026
By Erik Larson, Bloomberg Famed short seller Andrew Left faces the possibility of decades behind bars after being found guilty of using disingenuous social media posts to manipulate stocks, in a landmark case that threatens to chill a broader trading strategy loathed by corporate executives.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for manipulate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for manipulate
Verb
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Ramaphosa accused these groups of exploiting migration anxieties to sow division through lawlessness and violence.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
8 June 2026
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This feels less like a billing problem and more like a system failure that the company is exploiting.—
Christopher Elliott,
Mercury News,
8 June 2026
Verb
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Our mother, who had annoyed me deeply throughout most of my life, managed something so heroic that there should have been songs written about her to be sung around campfires by Girl Scouts.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
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With over 60% of its power needs met by nuclear power, France is particularly well-placed to manage such an energy-intensive project at a time when Europe is grappling with some of the highest industrial electricity prices among major economies.—
Joseph Wilkins,
CNBC,
3 June 2026
Verb
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The decision to close the location comes after negotiating for months upon the urging of the city of Dallas and local leaders to work out an arrangement for how the store could keep operating.—
David Moin,
Footwear News,
2 June 2026
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But Qatar appears to be more flexible, with a top official saying on Sunday that the country would be willing to negotiate on fees collected for mine clearance or other short-term activities.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
2 June 2026
Verb
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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
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The Allies went to extraordinary lengths to deceive the enemy, suggesting that the attack would focus on the Pas-de-Calais, the narrowest point of the English Channel.—
Kevin Maurer,
The Atlantic,
6 June 2026
Verb
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Last season Hustus handled more than 16,000 lobsters all while chatting animatedly with visitors from around the world—and often introducing them to their first tastes of lobster.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
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The county civil grand jury concluded the school board canceled the contract based on a misrepresentation of the facts, failed to act in students’ best interest, disparaged the school community and took actions that were supposed to be handled by district staff.—
Jemma Stephenson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 June 2026
Verb
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Police in Las Vegas arranged for him to be arrested and then extradited to California, Clark said.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
5 June 2026
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Nearby, the Rum Vault is a small room stashed with bottles and bottles of the spirit, arranged like a library according to the producing region.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 June 2026
Verb
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Despite undergoing surgery last week to address a broken pinky finger, New York center Mitchell Robinson will play in Game 1 tonight, the team told reporters.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
4 June 2026
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Ohtani was back to a full starter’s workload for the first time since 2023, even mentioning fatigue in his postgame interview after his second start of the season, and before games was working to address his offensive struggles.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
Verb
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Higginbotham is a native of Hoover, Alabama, and is majoring in biosystems engineering at Auburn, according to the university and Hoover Mayor Nick Derzis.—
Anthony Trotter,
ABC News,
4 June 2026
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According to the official announcement from Nevada’s Clark County, the job necessitated a small army of volunteers and community partners using a design envisioned by engineering students at Las Vegas’ West Career & Technical Academy.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Manipulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manipulate. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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