manipulate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to manage or influence skillfully, especially in an unfair manner.
to manipulate people's feelings.
-
to handle, manage, or use, especially with skill, in some process of treatment or performance.
to manipulate a large tractor.
-
to adapt or change (accounts, figures, etc.) to suit one's purpose or advantage.
-
Medicine/Medical. to examine or treat by skillful use of the hands, as in palpation, reduction of dislocations, or changing the position of a fetus.
verb
-
(tr) to handle or use, esp with some skill, in a process or action
to manipulate a pair of scissors
-
to negotiate, control, or influence (something or someone) cleverly, skilfully, or deviously
-
to falsify (a bill, accounts, etc) for one's own advantage
-
(in physiotherapy) to examine or treat manually, as in loosening a joint
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
manipulabilitynoun
-
manipulationnoun
-
manipulatornoun
-
outmanipulateverb (used with object)
-
manipulatableadjective
-
manipulativeadjective
-
manipulatoryadjective
-
nonmanipulativeadjective
-
nonmanipulatoryadjective
-
unmanipulatableadjective
-
unmanipulatedadjective
-
unmanipulativeadjective
-
unmanipulatoryadjective
-
manipulativelyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
manipulatesimple
-
manipulatessimple
-
have manipulatedperfect
-
has manipulatedperfect
-
am manipulatingprogressive
-
are manipulatingprogressive
-
is manipulatingprogressive
-
have been manipulatingperfect progressive
-
has been manipulatingperfect progressive
Past
-
manipulatedsimple
-
had manipulatedperfect
-
was manipulatingprogressive
-
were manipulatingprogressive
-
had been manipulatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of manipulate
First recorded in 1820–30; back formation from manipulation
Explanation
To manipulate something means to handle it skillfully, like the way a sculptor manipulates clay or a really good politician works a crowd. The verb manipulate evolved from manipulation, which back in the 1700s referred to a method of digging ore. So manipulating something originally only meant moving or arranging it by hand or mechanically. It wasn't until 1864 that people started using the word manipulate to describe someone exerting mental or emotional influence on others.
Vocabulary lists containing manipulate
Tier 2 Words for the SBAC ELA Items
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"There Will Come Soft Rains" by Ray Bradbury (1950)
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Westing Game
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A better understanding of how gallium changes with temperature could benefit nanotechnology, where researchers manipulate matter at extremely small scales to create new materials with specialized properties.
From Science Daily • Jul. 9, 2026
The complaint, filed in Iowa federal court, described a yearslong effort by a handful of major egg producers to manipulate a little-known process that helps determine what Americans pay for eggs.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 1, 2026
This material switch allows the system to manipulate qubits using highly stable visible and infrared lasers rather than error-prone ultraviolet light.
From Barron's • Jun. 29, 2026
From professional wrestling, Trump learned to refine the character and persona, the promo and the showmanship, and how to manipulate the public’s suspension of disbelief.
From Salon • Jun. 17, 2026
Intellectual tools, by contrast, manipulate ideas, not the world.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
