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
The report, released Friday, downplayed the extent of Russian interference in the 2016 election by highlighting Obama administration emails showing officials had concluded before and after the presidential race that Moscow had not hacked state election systems to manipulate votes in Trump's favor.
—
Dan Gooding
gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 July 2025
And these two will maneuver, manipulate, and murder anyone who gets in their way.
—EW.com, 22 July 2025
The cloning technique was said to be more reliable than the one used to create Dolly the sheep, and provided scientists with greater ability to manipulate the adult donor nucleus and study the roles genes play in aging and disease processes.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 July 2025
Even a congressional candidate has alleged that humans manipulated the weather behind the Fourth of July weekend floods in Texas, which left at least 120 people dead and more than 170 still missing.
—Brandi D. Addison, Austin American Statesman, 12 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for manipulate
Dan Gooding
gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 July 2025
And these two will maneuver, manipulate, and murder anyone who gets in their way.
—EW.com, 22 July 2025
The cloning technique was said to be more reliable than the one used to create Dolly the sheep, and provided scientists with greater ability to manipulate the adult donor nucleus and study the roles genes play in aging and disease processes.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 July 2025
Even a congressional candidate has alleged that humans manipulated the weather behind the Fourth of July weekend floods in Texas, which left at least 120 people dead and more than 170 still missing.
—Brandi D. Addison, Austin American Statesman, 12 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for manipulate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for manipulate
Verb
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Given that many forms of manufacturing are labor-intensive, any country where the cost of labor is lower than the cost in the U.S. can exploit such an opportunity.—
Sheldon H. Jacobson,
Chicago Tribune,
22 July 2025
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Lunn promised to provide low-cost necessities—groceries, coal, and ice for the pre-electric era iceboxes—by starting city-run businesses to compete with private merchants who exploited their poor customers.—
Time,
Time,
22 July 2025
Verb
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While Bravo's Real Housewives franchise has never managed to break into this category, Hulu's Housewives-esque docusoap — which follows a group of very messy Mormon wives and mothers — earned a nomination after only being on for two seasons.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
15 July 2025
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The same cut also manages to lead all of the following half-dozen genre-specific lists: Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, R&B/Hip-Hop Streaming Songs, R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales, Hot Rap Songs, Rap Streaming Songs, and the Rap Digital Song Sales rankings.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
Verb
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This month, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro negotiated a prisoner swap with the United States, releasing 10 American citizens in his custody and dozens of Venezuelan political prisoners.—
Gisela Salim-Peyer,
The Atlantic,
24 July 2025
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The proposal by the Commission was negotiated behind closed doors and largely held secret until the final draft was approved.—
Jon McGowan,
Forbes.com,
24 July 2025
Verb
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More than 20 children are in the custody of a Southern California child-welfare agency as authorities investigate allegations of child abuse and whether surrogate mothers were deceived by a Los Angeles-area couple.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
17 July 2025
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And then he was wishy-washy, went back and forth, and she was deceived and disappointed by him.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
15 July 2025
Verb
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Today’s chatbots, in contrast, can engage in meaningful, multi-turn conversations—answering complex questions, handling follow-ups, and even escalating issues when necessary.—
Aytekin Tank,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
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The poll also shows that 39 percent approve of the way Trump is handling his job as president versus 56 percent who disapprove.—
Amanda Castro
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 July 2025
Verb
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Horowitz spent decades arranging for Sondheim’s archives to come to the Library of Congress.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
13 July 2025
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The controversy comes at a time the United States is trying to arrange a ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas.—
Amira El-Fekki,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 July 2025
Verb
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An inspector identified seven violations on July 8 and gave Ali until Aug. 12 to address them, according to city records.—
Gina Lee Castro,
jsonline.com,
22 July 2025
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The role will be recast for the new DC Universe. DC Studios co-head James Gunn recently addressed speculation that the film was being fast-tracked.—
Aaron Couch,
HollywoodReporter,
21 July 2025
Verb
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Takeaway: Move fast, but only on systems engineered to hold the weight.—
Kevin Meyer,
Forbes.com,
25 July 2025
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Fortunately, Red Sox chief of baseball operations Craig Breslow was astute enough in the offseason to engineer a trade with the New York Yankees, bringing in largely unheralded rookie catcher Carlos Narvaez for pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz.—
Jon Vankin,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Manipulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manipulate. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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