manipulate

verb

ma·​nip·​u·​late mə-ˈni-pyə-ˌlāt How to pronounce manipulate (audio)
manipulated; manipulating

transitive verb

1
: to treat or operate with or as if with the hands or by mechanical means especially in a skillful manner
manipulate a pencil
manipulate a machine
2
a
: to manage or utilize skillfully
quantify our data and manipulate it statisticallyS. L. Payne
b
: to control or play upon by artful, unfair, or insidious means especially to one's own advantage
being used and manipulated by the knowing men around himNew Republic
3
: to change by artful or unfair means so as to serve one's purpose : doctor
suspected that the police reports were manipulatedEvelyn G. Cruickshanks
manipulatable adjective
manipulation noun
manipulator noun
manipulatory adjective

Examples of manipulate in a Sentence

The baby is learning to manipulate blocks. The mechanical arms are manipulated by a computer. The doctor manipulated my back. The program was designed to organize and manipulate large amounts of data. He's always been good at manipulating numbers in his head. As part of the experiment, students manipulated light and temperature to see how it affected the plants. She knows how to manipulate her parents to get what she wants. He felt that he had been manipulated by the people he trusted most. The editorial was a blatant attempt to manipulate public opinion. He's accused of trying to manipulate the price of the stock.
Recent Examples on the Web In a single hand, humans can easily hold and manipulate objects, even small and delicate ones, while adjusting our fingers to their shape and reorienting them with displacements of our fingertip pads. Sabrina Sholts, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Mar. 2024 If, in fact, the image of the princess with her kids was doctored or manipulated, the irony of the situation could be hard to shake off as it was meant to resist rumors. Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 11 Mar. 2024 When Mariam’s maternal grandfather passes, his brother tries to manipulate them into signing over their apartment to him, a common occurrence in Pakistan, where women’s property rights are fragile. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 11 Mar. 2024 Most news organizations, including CNN, regard it as unacceptable to move, change or manipulate the pixels of an image. Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN, 11 Mar. 2024 While there was no suggestion the photo was fake, AP retracted it because closer inspection revealed the source had manipulated the image in a way that did not meet AP’s photo standards. Jill Lawless, Twin Cities, 11 Mar. 2024 The documentary told her story — including her claims of being manipulated and coerced by Strangis. Danielle Bacher, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024 Don’t be afraid to do your own thing and to say no to anyone trying to change or manipulate you. Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024 Scientists can now try to use cloning techniques and gene editing to manipulate the cells in the hopes of someday creating elephants with key traits of mammoths, such as their heavy coats and the layers of fat that enabled them to survive in cold climates. Rob Stein, NPR, 6 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'manipulate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1834, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of manipulate was in 1834

Dictionary Entries Near manipulate

Cite this Entry

“Manipulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/manipulate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

manipulate

verb
ma·​nip·​u·​late mə-ˈnip-yə-ˌlāt How to pronounce manipulate (audio)
manipulated; manipulating
1
: to treat or operate with or as if with the hands or by mechanical means especially with skill
manipulate the trackball
2
: to manage or use skillfully
manipulate masses of statistics
3
: to manage especially with intent to deceive
manipulate accounts
manipulate public opinion
manipulation noun
manipulator noun

Medical Definition

manipulate

transitive verb
ma·​nip·​u·​late mə-ˈnip-yə-ˌlāt How to pronounce manipulate (audio)
manipulated; manipulating
1
: to treat or operate with the hands or by mechanical means especially in a skillful manner
manipulate the fragments of a broken bone into correct position
2
a
: to manage or utilize skillfully
b
: to control or play upon by artful, unfair, or insidious means especially to one's own advantage
manipulative adjective
manipulativeness noun

Legal Definition

manipulate

transitive verb
ma·​nip·​u·​late mə-ˈni-pyə-ˌlāt How to pronounce manipulate (audio)
manipulated; manipulating
: to change by artful or unfair means so as to serve one's purpose
specifically : to affect (the price of securities) artificially in order to deceive or mislead investors
manipulable adjective
manipulation noun
manipulative adjective
manipulatively adverb
manipulativeness noun
manipulator noun
manipulatory adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on manipulate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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