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
The oversized keys are easy for little fingers to manipulate.
—
Bestreviews, Mercury News, 27 Aug. 2025
There are four off days before the end of the season, but those can only be manipulated so much.
—Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
Some autism researchers fear that the effort will manipulate data to blame the condition on vaccines.
—Sharon Lerner, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2025
Dan Wang, China director for the Eurasia Group, points out that there are incentives to manipulate the data that goes into national surveys.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for manipulate
Bestreviews, Mercury News, 27 Aug. 2025
There are four off days before the end of the season, but those can only be manipulated so much.
—Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
Some autism researchers fear that the effort will manipulate data to blame the condition on vaccines.
—Sharon Lerner, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2025
Dan Wang, China director for the Eurasia Group, points out that there are incentives to manipulate the data that goes into national surveys.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for manipulate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for manipulate
Verb
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There has been no confirmation as yet that this has been exploited in the wild, and given it was found by Google’s Big Sleep AI threat hunter, the hope is that CVE-2025-9478 has been stopped before any such exploits are developed.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025
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Keep your devices updated Many scams rely on exploiting outdated software.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The fire crew has managed to contain none of the blaze by Friday evening.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
23 Aug. 2025
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Antihistamines can ease itching, while ibuprofen or acetaminophen help manage pain.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
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As the then ambassador to the US, Dermer played a key role in negotiating the 2020 Abraham Accords that saw Israel normalize relations with several Gulf states.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
28 Aug. 2025
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As the Wednesday afternoon contract deadline approached, Fox and YouTube agreed on a short-term extension to continue negotiating, indicating a resolution was imminent.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
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If this information were accessed, scammers could more convincingly extort or deceive individuals, according to Landau.—
TIME Staff,
Time,
26 Aug. 2025
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Spencer Platt/Getty Images Judges in two courts have now found that the president of the United States took part in a yearslong fraud that deceived financial institutions about his net worth.—
Dan Alexander,
Forbes.com,
23 Aug. 2025
Verb
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My wife was impressed by how Tennesseans handled the temperatures seemingly without issue.—
Tobis Heimbach,
The Tennessean,
23 Aug. 2025
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Brian Cotter when sworn in years ago: New Pueblo County coroner brings change What agency is handling the Pueblo coroner case?—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
23 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Ruth is arranged in a series of almost-irreverent vignettes, which date from Ruth’s early childhood in the 1960s through her middle age.—
Hillary Kelly,
The Atlantic,
20 Aug. 2025
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After McLaren won the 2024 constructors’ championship, the Crown Prince of Bahrain arranged for the entire team to be flown from that race in Abu Dhabi to his nearby homeland to party through the night (McLaren Group is owned by Bahrain’s sovereign wealth fund).—
Luke Smith,
New York Times,
20 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The city's religious leaders also criticized Congress' refusal to release more than $1 billion in funds for programs aimed at addressing the root causes of crime, including addiction recovery services, mental health treatment, youth outreach and affordable housing.—
Jason DeRose,
NPR,
14 Aug. 2025
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This project not only helped individuals build financial stability but also strengthened our local economy by addressing skill gaps.—
Josh Bergeron,
Charlotte Observer,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
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This comfortable walking shoe is engineered with foam and vio-motion technology for superior arch support and cushioning.—
Nora Colomer
may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom.,
FOXNews.com,
29 Aug. 2025
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But Cooter said the ecosystem that Westman appears to have come out of is highly engineered by bad actors online who cultivate, in vulnerable people, a desire to commit violence.—
Odette Yousef,
NPR,
29 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Manipulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manipulate. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.
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