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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of manipulate
Some of the recordings were clear, whereas others were artificially manipulated to sound tinny.
—
Rachel Nuwer, Scientific American, 24 Mar. 2025
For an interactive map that can be manipulated to highlight specific addresses and their zones, click here.
—Tom Tapp, Deadline, 24 Mar. 2025
Shakespeare’s tragedy — penned around 1603, under its full name: The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice — follows Othello as Iago manipulates him into suspecting Desdemona of infidelity.
—Dave Quinn, People.com, 21 Mar. 2025
Luckily, we can be trained to spot when we're being manipulated in this way.
—Bernard Marr, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for manipulate
Rachel Nuwer, Scientific American, 24 Mar. 2025
For an interactive map that can be manipulated to highlight specific addresses and their zones, click here.
—Tom Tapp, Deadline, 24 Mar. 2025
Shakespeare’s tragedy — penned around 1603, under its full name: The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice — follows Othello as Iago manipulates him into suspecting Desdemona of infidelity.
—Dave Quinn, People.com, 21 Mar. 2025
Luckily, we can be trained to spot when we're being manipulated in this way.
—Bernard Marr, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for manipulate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for manipulate
Verb
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If that weren’t enough, bad-faith actors exploit these dynamics, distorting reality for part of the population and deepening political divides.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN,
23 Mar. 2025
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Infectious diseases, by nature, exploit individualism; their version of liberty is to find the unprotected, and spread more freely.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
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However, in dipping their toes into the multiverse, the McManus Brothers largely manage to get the best of two worlds, delivering a strong genre entry with the bones of a tender indie about trauma.—
Stephen Saito,
Variety,
19 Mar. 2025
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Apple navigated tariffs during the previous Trump administration, too, although the company managed to dodge some of them back then.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN,
19 Mar. 2025
Verb
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While the United States continues to negotiate access to and control of these materials, these issues will take time to resolve.—
Jim DeLoach,
Forbes.com,
26 Mar. 2025
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Under that agreement, the two sides were supposed to exploit the pause in fighting to negotiate the next stage of the deal, including a permanent cease-fire and the release of the remaining Israeli hostages.—
Gershom Gorenberg,
The Atlantic,
26 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Any clinic that is promising instant, full growth in a few weeks is deceiving you.—
Rowan Briggs,
The Mercury News,
19 Mar. 2025
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Holding a lot of cash in the bank may feel like the absolute most comfortable option, but don’t be deceived.—
Eric Roberge,
Forbes,
19 Mar. 2025
Verb
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In 2021, Saint-Cyr's sister joined the business to handle finances.—
Geri Stengel,
Forbes,
19 Mar. 2025
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The company billed itself as a one-stop production shop that could carry content ideas all the way to development, with the infrastructure in place to handle marketing and distribution on its own.—
Winston Cho,
The Hollywood Reporter,
19 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The institute once arranged for a Purim care package to be airdropped to a Jewish Coast Guard member 700 miles off the coast of Alaska, for example.—
Lauren Costantino,
Miami Herald,
17 Mar. 2025
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Every morning, the monks gathered there, arranging themselves on the long stone benches, to discuss the matters of the day.—
Amanda Petrusich,
The New Yorker,
17 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Students have led activism efforts to address societal issues like apartheid, war, climate change and racial inequality.—
Janice Gassam Asare,
Forbes,
24 Mar. 2025
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What needs to change to address the radicalization of young men?—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN,
22 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Part of his path back to power, after all, was engineering the ousting of GOP critics on Capitol Hill like Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger and supplanting them with disciples.—
Eric Cortellessa,
Time,
27 Mar. 2025
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Business operations are generally better engineered today than in the 20th century, with more activities automated for quality control, cost savings and efficiency.—
Louis Gritzo,
Forbes.com,
27 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Manipulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manipulate. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.
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