manipulate

[muh-nip-yuh-leyt]

verb (used with object)

manipulated, manipulating 

1. to manage or influence skillfully, especially in an unfair manner.

   to manipulate people's feelings.

2. to handle, manage, or use, especially with skill, in some process of treatment or performance.

   to manipulate a large tractor.

3. to adapt or change (accounts, figures, etc.) to suit one's purpose or advantage.

   Synonyms: falsify, juggle

4. 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.

manipulate

/ məˌnɪpjʊləˈbɪlɪtɪ, məˈnɪpjʊˌleɪt /

verb

1. (tr) to handle or use, esp with some skill, in a process or action

   to manipulate a pair of scissors

2. to negotiate, control, or influence (something or someone) cleverly, skilfully, or deviously

3. to falsify (a bill, accounts, etc) for one's own advantage

4. (in physiotherapy) to examine or treat manually, as in loosening a joint

Other Word Forms

• manipulatable adjective
• manipulatory adjective
• nonmanipulative adjective
• nonmanipulatory adjective
• outmanipulate verb (used with object)
• unmanipulatable adjective
• unmanipulated adjective
• unmanipulative adjective
• unmanipulatory adjective
• manipulatively adverb
• manipulability noun
• manipulator noun
• manipulation noun
• manipulative adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of manipulate¹

First recorded in 1820–30; back formation from manipulation

Word History and Origins

Origin of manipulate¹

C19: back formation from manipulation, from Latin manipulus handful

Example Sentences

The attackers manipulated Claude into functioning as an autonomous cyber agent, with the AI mapping internal systems, identifying high-value assets, pulling data and summarizing intelligence before human operators made decisions.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The move comes as OpenAI has faced blowback in Hollywood as images of celebrities and dead newsmakers were manipulated without their consent.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

To be sure, America’s decentralized data-agency model limits the ability to manipulate data.

Read more on Barron's

They are extremely stable and naturally resistant to external fields, but this same stability has made them very difficult to manipulate, limiting scientific progress in this area.

Read more on Science Daily

Known as the mandatory reimbursement requirement it obliges banks to refund most victims of push payment fraud - when victims are tricked and manipulated into transferring money to criminals themselves.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• exploit 
• handle 
• influence 
• maneuver 
• shape