EXPLOIT Synonyms: 137 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'exploit' differ from other similar words?

The words achievement and feat are common synonyms of exploit . While all three words mean "a remarkable deed," exploit suggests an adventurous or heroic act. // his exploits as a spy

Q: When could 'achievement' be used to replace 'exploit'?

In some situations, the words achievement and exploit are roughly equivalent. However, achievement implies hard-won success in the face of difficulty or opposition. // her achievements as a chemist

Q: When is it sensible to use 'feat' instead of 'exploit'?

The words feat and exploit are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, feat implies strength or dexterity or daring. // an acrobatic feat

exploit 1 of 2

verb

ik-ˈsplȯit

Definition of exploit

as in to use

to take unfair advantage of the type of person who exploits a friend's good nature by constantly sponging off of him

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in to manipulate

to control or take advantage of by artful, unfair, or insidious means a politician more than willing to exploit any national tragedy for political gain

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in to utilize

to put into action or service it will be a shame if you don't exploit your artistic talent to the fullest

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

exploit

2 of 2

noun

ˈek-ˌsplȯit

as in feat

an act of notable skill, strength, or cleverness the fanciful exploits of the giant lumberjack Paul Bunyan

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in thing

something done by someone once famed as an actor, John Wilkes Booth is now remembered for a single exploit, his assassination of Lincoln

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in experience

an exciting or noteworthy event that one experiences firsthand a memoir recounting three decades of exploits as a roving foreign correspondent for TV news

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun exploit differ from other similar words?

The words achievement and feat are common synonyms of exploit. While all three words mean "a remarkable deed," exploit suggests an adventurous or heroic act.

his exploits as a spy

When could achievement be used to replace exploit?

In some situations, the words achievement and exploit are roughly equivalent. However, achievement implies hard-won success in the face of difficulty or opposition.

her achievements as a chemist

When is it sensible to use feat instead of exploit?

The words feat and exploit are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, feat implies strength or dexterity or daring.

an acrobatic feat

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of exploit

Verb

Stronger defenses restore training A September 20 incident exposed another weakness when an internal research model exploited a misconfigured DNS resolver. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026 The vulnerabilities had been known for years, but exploiting them was considered too difficult and time-consuming for hackers. — Alexa Lomonaco,matthew J. Belvedere,jeff Marks, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026

Noun

According to Apple, security researchers confirmed that the known DarkSword exploits do not work on devices with Lockdown Mode enabled. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026 In response, those servers delivered an exploit that served the zero-click payload when the ad appeared on an individual’s device. — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 15 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for exploit

Recent Examples of Synonyms for exploit

Verb

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory estimates US data centers used about 17 billion gallons of water for cooling in 2023, and that could double or even quadruple by 2028.

— Adhum Carter Wolde-Lule, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
However, the available demonstration does not specify the training setup, how responsibilities the divided between the learning methods, or the precise control architecture used during execution.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of use

Verb

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday the Pentagon has not manipulated the service.

— Jennifer Jacobs, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
Without that provenance, the agent can’t reliably distinguish current operational truth from stale, incomplete or manipulated information.

— Shekhar Iyer, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of manipulate

Verb

By contrast, the new fabric utilizes the visible white light that's already being used in hospitals.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 18 Oct. 2026
LaBranche has become a master of sleight of hand and confusing defenses as the Warriors utilize a ton of misdirection and a plethora of running backs to keep the opposition guessing about who is getting the ball.

— Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of utilize

Noun

Smith accomplished the feat in nine fewer games than Edwards.

— Mark Long, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
The Panthers became the first team to ever have players turn natural hat tricks — three consecutive goals by one player — in three straight games after Brady Tkachuk achieved the feat in the team’s previous two outings.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of feat

Noun

For one thing, individual stocks are more volatile than an index fund and the five-year holding period means millions of shareholders can’t sell if things go wrong.

— Diane Brady, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
Notably, most things known to have antidepressant effects increase brain plasticity—such as exercise, electroconvulsive therapy, selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors prescribed as antidepressants, and psychedelic drugs.

— Maia Szalavitz, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of thing

Noun

Serving as president since 2024—just months after the team was first created—Smith has helped build the franchise from the ground up, overseeing everything from its business operations to the fan experience.

— Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
Brown, Gibbs argued, has the experience necessary to represent rural Ohioans at the federal level.

— Saige Miller, NPR, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of experience

Verb

According to Sabbagh, Equatys will be able to leverage 400 relationships with mobile network operators across the world.

— Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
Beijing, meanwhile, accuses Washington of economic coercion while leveraging its dominance over critical supply chains to press the United States and Europe.

— Henry Farrell, Foreign Affairs, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of leverage

Verb

New safety requirements apply What sets the aircraft apart is its enhanced angle-of-attack system, which Boeing plans to introduce across the 737 MAX family.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2026
The boy was a soccer player who was enchanted by the idea of camping in the woods; Charlotte was bright and cheery, sometimes applying glitter to her father’s mustache.

— Abe Streep, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of apply

Browse Nearby Words

exploding

exploit

exploitable

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Style

“Exploit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exploit. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of exploit

verb

noun

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