Manipulate — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb /mə-ˈni-pyə-ˌlāt/ ma·nip·u·late

Meaning & Definition of Manipulate

Manipulate (verb)

  1. to move or control with the hands or by mechanical means especially in a skillful manner
  2. to manage or utilize skillfully
  3. to control or play upon by artful, unfair, or insidious means especially to one's own advantage

Manipulate (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. 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"

    similar: exploit, play (upon)
    related: engineer, finagle, jockey, maneuver, beguile, bluff, cozen, deceive, delude, dupe, fool, gull, hoax, hoodwink, kid, shanghai, snow, take in, trick, intrigue, machinate, plot, scheme, arrange, contrive, devise, finesse, mastermind, cheat, chisel, con, defraud, fleece, hustle, swindle

  2. to deal with (something) usually skillfully or efficiently

    "spin doctors manipulating the data to make it seem more favorable to their preferred candidates"

    similar: address, contend (with), cope (with), field, grapple (with), hack, handle, manage, maneuver, negotiate, play, swing, take, treat, come to grips with, have a grip on
    related: engineer, finesse, jockey, bring off, carry off, carry out, get off, pull, command, direct, guide, steer, control, micromanage, regulate, run, react (to), respond (to)
    near: botch, bungle, foozle, fumble, goof (up), louse up, mess (up), mishandle, muff, scamp

  3. 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"

    similar: contrive, engineer, finagle, finesse, frame, machinate, maneuver, mastermind, negotiate, wangle
    related: arrange, concert, conclude, hammer out, work out, angle (for), compass, intrigue, plot, scheme, connive, brew, concoct, cook (up), hatch, captain, command, conduct, direct, handle, manage, quarterback, run, gerrymander
    near: blow, bobble, botch, bungle, butcher, flub, fumble, gum (up), louse up, mangle, mess (up), mishandle, muff

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Manipulate

The most common words with a similar meaning to Manipulate:

exploit, play (upon), address, contend (with), cope (with), field, grapple (with), hack, handle, manage, maneuver, negotiate, play, swing, take, treat, contrive, engineer, finagle, finesse, frame, machinate, mastermind, wangle, come to grips with, have a grip on

Related Words for Manipulate

jockey, beguile, bluff, cozen, deceive, delude, dupe, fool, gull, hoax, hoodwink, kid, shanghai, snow, take in, trick, intrigue, plot, scheme, arrange, devise, cheat, chisel, con, defraud, fleece, hustle, swindle, bring off, carry off

Near Antonyms of Manipulate

botch, bungle, foozle, fumble, goof (up), louse up, mess (up), mishandle, muff, scamp, blow, bobble, butcher, flub, gum (up), mangle

Word Forms of Manipulate

Inflections: manipulated, manipulating

Derived words: manipulatable (adjective), manipulation (noun), manipulator (noun), manipulatory (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Manipulate

back-formation from manipulation, from French, from manipuler to handle an apparatus in chemistry, ultimately from Latin manipulus

First known use: 1834

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Manipulate

Frequently Asked Questions about Manipulate

What does "Manipulate" mean?

"Manipulate" means to move or control with the hands or by mechanical means especially in a skillful manner. As a verb, it is defined as: to move or control with the hands or by mechanical means especially in a skillful manner. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Manipulate"?

Other words for "Manipulate" include exploit, play (upon), address, contend (with), cope (with), field, grapple (with) and hack. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Manipulate" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Manipulate"?

There are 84 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Manipulate". Common alternatives include exploit, play (upon), address, contend (with), cope (with), field, grapple (with), hack, handle and manage.

How do you use "Manipulate" in a sentence?

Examples of "Manipulate" in a sentence: "the con man would slyly manipulate the emotions of his marks in order to win their sympathy and trust"; "spin doctors manipulating the data to make it seem more favorable to their preferred candidates"; "manipulated the schedule of presidential primaries so that the choice of the party elders would win the nomination".

Is "Manipulate" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Manipulate" is a verb.

Is "Manipulate" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Manipulate" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Manipulate"?

"Manipulate" is pronounced /mə-ˈni-pyə-ˌlāt/ and divided into syllables as ma·nip·u·late.

What is the origin of the word "Manipulate"?

"Manipulate" comes from back-formation from manipulation, from French, from manipuler to handle an apparatus in chemistry, ultimately from Latin manipulus. First known use: 1834.