manipulate

verb

mə-ˈni-pyə-ˌlāt How to pronounce manipulate (audio)
Definition of manipulatenext
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

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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

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 manipulate The technology helps robots manipulate objects and navigate around obstacles using touch, including when visual information is unavailable or obstructed. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2026 But Takahashi, the conservative from Texas, is worried that Trump will try to manipulate the election. — Terry Tang, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026 She was also seen taking photos and manipulating notebooks on the victim’s desk, the police affidavit said. — Eduardo Cuevas, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026 Even in his texts with the other person, Nicole said, Michael was skeptical, yet that person was still able to manipulate her son and create a sense of urgency. — Amy Lavalley, Chicago Tribune, 17 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for manipulate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for manipulate
  1. exploit
  2. manage
  3. negotiate
  4. deceive
  5. handle
  6. arrange
  7. address
  8. engineer
Verb
  • That signal can be aggregated, correlated, and exploited by hostile foreign intelligence services to anticipate our movements, targets, and timing.
    — Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The researchers did not observe every capability being actively exploited, so account compromise should not be assumed without evidence.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of exploit
Verb
  • Union Berlin managed to draw at Augsburg 1-1 after a player from each was sent off in separate incidents.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The winner will gain one of five seats on the board that runs the highway district, which is responsible for building, managing and maintaining local roads and bridges countywide — as well as setting ACHD’s nearly $260 million annual budget.
    — Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of manage
Verb
  • On the one hand, the relief came through energy, when Washington granted a series of short-term waivers that kept the NIS refinery running while Hungary’s MOL negotiated to buy out the Russian stake.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 27 Oct. 2026
  • With an unfriendly Congress, decisions about who pays and where cuts are made will also test Lula’s ability to negotiate.
    — Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of negotiate
Verb
  • But looks are deceiving in this case – just like the 3X Plus and 3X before it, the trailer stretches out via three individual telescopic segments that emerge at the push of a button.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Facebook's lawyers argued that the state failed to prove whether people were actually harmed by these deceiving statements.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of deceive
Verb
  • Seventy-one percent also doubt that his village cooperatives policy—which plans to establish hubs in roughly 80,000 communities to handle basic-goods distribution, savings, and other rural services—would succeed.
    — Jay Ganglani, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The case remains under investigation and is being handled by the Sheriff’s Department Homicide Division, according to Arcadia police.
    — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of handle
Verb
  • The hotel can also arrange more typical Lanai tourist activities—scuba diving, sailing, horseback riding, or a day at the beach at the sister Four Seasons resort.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Lawyers in Russia eventually located him and arranged for legal visits, money for food and basic necessities, and the brief phone call with his son.
    — Olivia Gazis, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of arrange
Verb
  • For example, my team and I designed a survivorship clinic at UPMC in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to address the most common issues head and neck cancer survivors experience.
    — Marci Lee Nilsen, The Conversation, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Employees form a small team, select a non-profit, and begin work on addressing the community challenge.
    — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of address
Verb
  • Each crane also required 10 custom connections to the building, engineered to meet local seismic requirements.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
  • When growth pressures persist, corporate boards frequently turn to executive leadership changes to engineer a turnaround, as demonstrated by this week's executive shakeup at Swiss chocolate maker Lindt.
    — , CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of engineer

Browse Nearby Words

man in the street
manipulate
manipulated
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Cite this Entry

“Manipulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manipulate. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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