1
as in exploiting
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 managing
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 negotiating
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 manipulating
This is by no means the first time that HAARP has been accused of controlling or manipulating the weather.
—
Emma Woollacott,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2026
After Cape Fear anchors us in those assurances, the men’s enmity continues manipulating our expectations and our beliefs.
—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
26 June 2026
Italian fascist leader Benito Mussolini did so when Italy hosted the 1934 World Cup, manipulating the games and handpicking officials to boost the chances for the home team, who went on to beat democratic Czechoslovakia in the final.
—
John A. Tures,
The Conversation,
26 June 2026
But Swedish intelligence recently alleged the country was manipulating economic data and that the true inflation rate could be much higher, perhaps as high as 15%.
—
Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
24 June 2026
Fears of government officials manipulating world events – including the Iran war – to make a quick buck.
—
Matt Motta,
Fortune,
23 June 2026
Wang then placed his hands underneath her clothing and began touching her breasts before manipulating her arm to touch his genitals, the suit states.
—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
19 June 2026
The researchers used an exploit called a parameter-to-prompt (P2P) injection, which is closely related to more conventional prompt injection methods, which are attacks that involve manipulating an LLM by crafting deceptive text inputs that override the bot’s original instructions.
—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
17 June 2026
Black consistently plays a step ahead of defenses, manipulating coverages and controlling games like a quarterback.
—
Tobias Bass,
New York Times,
15 June 2026
Emma Woollacott,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2026
After Cape Fear anchors us in those assurances, the men’s enmity continues manipulating our expectations and our beliefs.
—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
26 June 2026
Italian fascist leader Benito Mussolini did so when Italy hosted the 1934 World Cup, manipulating the games and handpicking officials to boost the chances for the home team, who went on to beat democratic Czechoslovakia in the final.
—
John A. Tures,
The Conversation,
26 June 2026
But Swedish intelligence recently alleged the country was manipulating economic data and that the true inflation rate could be much higher, perhaps as high as 15%.
—
Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
24 June 2026
Fears of government officials manipulating world events – including the Iran war – to make a quick buck.
—
Matt Motta,
Fortune,
23 June 2026
Wang then placed his hands underneath her clothing and began touching her breasts before manipulating her arm to touch his genitals, the suit states.
—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
19 June 2026
The researchers used an exploit called a parameter-to-prompt (P2P) injection, which is closely related to more conventional prompt injection methods, which are attacks that involve manipulating an LLM by crafting deceptive text inputs that override the bot’s original instructions.
—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
17 June 2026
Black consistently plays a step ahead of defenses, manipulating coverages and controlling games like a quarterback.
—
Tobias Bass,
New York Times,
15 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for manipulating
Verb
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But the recent action on Anthropic, as well as asking OpenAI to limit its own newest model, comes after experts have fretted for months that Mythos could pose a security risk by giving hackers and other bad actors access to AI capable of finding and exploiting vulnerabilities exceptionally quickly.
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The 2018 games in Russia similarly came under fire for accusations of bribery and exploiting workers.
Verb
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Portugal’s biggest warning sign came in their final clash, with Colombia managing 24 shots on goal — their most recorded in a World Cup game.
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There’s less enthusiasm for FIFA’s role in managing the World Cup.
Verb
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The board’s approval of his hire means that the government can begin negotiating his salary and benefits.
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Vahidi has become a major player in formulating Iran’s tough stance in negotiating a possible permanent end to the war with the United States, experts say.
Verb
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Those figures, though, are a bit deceiving; infant and childhood mortality dragged them down dramatically.
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Appearance, though, can be deceiving, but luckily, this shed is still packed with smart features and a clever design that will keep all your belongings safe.
Verb
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Reframe retained a local contractor who is handling the project from permitting to landscaping.
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This long history of adaptation explains why our hands are both strong and highly precise, capable of handling everything from heavy lifting to delicate tasks.
Verb
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All these plans acknowledge the experience gap, namely that training without arranging relevant work experience is often futile.
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Among DeJohn’s hobbies were flower arranging, collecting anything blue and white, gardening, and decorating.
Verb
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Hyundai is addressing the issue by allowing drivers to bring their Tucsons into authorized dealers for free instrument panel cluster software updates.
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The historic housing bill, which took effect Wednesday, was written in hopes of addressing California’s housing crisis.
Verb
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Sources tell OutKick that Pitaro backed Mark Jones in 2020 when Jones falsely accused police officers of plotting to shoot him.
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Lively accused Baldoni in December 2024 of harassing her on the set of It Ends With Us and subsequently plotting a smear campaign against her.
Cite this Entry
“Manipulating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manipulating. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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