Standard Lemma guide

manipulate

verb · 11 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /məˈnɪp.jʊ.leɪt/
  • Canada, General-American: /məˈnɪp.jə.leɪt/
  • California: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: M AH0 N IH1 P Y AH0 L EY2 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To move, arrange or operate something using the hands

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To influence, manage, direct, control or tamper with something

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • manipulate data
  • The software can manipulate images easily.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To handle and move a body part, either as an examination or for a therapeutic purpose

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Topics: medicine, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To influence or control someone in order to achieve a specific purpose, especially one that is unknown to the one being manipulated and beneficial to the manipulator; to use

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • cleverly manipulate
  • She knew how to manipulate people to get her way.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To use the hands, especially in scientific experiments.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: dated, intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

treat manually, as with massage, for therapeutic purposed

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: treat, care for

7

verb

Meaning 7

hold something in one's hands and move it

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: handle, palm

Narrower terms: lay hands on, mouse, twiddle, fiddle with, wield, handle, manage, operate, control, massage, rub down, knead, work, shuffle, ruffle, mix, tamper, fiddle, monkey, toy, diddle, play

8

verb

Meaning 8

control (others or oneself) or influence skillfully, usually to one's advantage

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • She manipulates her boss
  • She is a very controlling mother and doesn't let her children grow up
  • The teacher knew how to keep the class in line
  • she keeps in line

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: keep in line, control

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: interact

Narrower terms: tease, handle, ingratiate

9

verb

Meaning 9

manipulate in a fraudulent manner

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • rig prices

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: rig

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: price

10

verb

Meaning 10

influence or control shrewdly or deviously

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • He manipulated public opinion in his favor

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: pull strings, pull wires

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: influence, act upon, work

11

verb

Meaning 11

tamper, with the purpose of deception

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Fudge the figures
  • cook the books
  • falsify the data

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: fudge, fake, falsify, cook, wangle, misrepresent

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: cheat, chisel

Narrower terms: juggle

History

Etymology

Back-formation from manipulation.

Across languages

Translations

69 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Belarusian: маніпулі́раваць (manipulíravacʹ) — move with the hands
  • Bulgarian: манипулирам (manipuliram) — move with the hands
  • Catalan: manipular — move with the hands
  • Chinese Mandarin: 操纵 (cāo zuò) — move with the hands
  • Dutch: manipuleren — move with the hands
  • Finnish: käsitellä — move with the hands
  • Galician: manipular — move with the hands
  • Hungarian: manipulál — move with the hands
  • Hungarian: kezel — move with the hands
  • Icelandic: meðhöndla — move with the hands
  • Icelandic: handleika — move with the hands
  • Ido: manuagar — move with the hands
  • Ido: manipular — move with the hands
  • Indonesian: memanipulasi — move with the hands
  • Italian: manipolare — move with the hands
  • Korean: 조종하다 (jojonghada) — move with the hands
  • Polish: manipulować — move with the hands
  • Polish: zmanipulować — move with the hands
  • Portuguese: manipular — move with the hands
  • Portuguese: manusear — move with the hands
  • Romanian: manipula — move with the hands
  • Russian: манипули́ровать (manipulírovatʹ) — move with the hands
  • Russian: управля́ть (upravljátʹ) — move with the hands
  • Spanish: manipular — move with the hands
  • Tamil: கையாள் (kaiyāḷ) — move with the hands
  • Ukrainian: маніпулюва́ти (manipuljuváty) — move with the hands
  • Afrikaans: manipuleer — influence or manage
  • Belarusian: маніпулі́раваць (manipulíravacʹ) — influence or manage
  • Bulgarian: боравя (boravja) — influence or manage
  • Catalan: manipular — influence or manage
  • Danish: manipulere — influence or manage
  • Dutch: beïnvloeden — influence or manage
  • Dutch: manipuleren — influence or manage
  • Esperanto: manipuli — influence or manage
  • Finnish: käsitellä — influence or manage
  • Finnish: manipuloida — influence or manage
  • French: manipuler — influence or manage
  • West-Frisian: manipulearje — influence or manage
  • West-Frisian: beynfloedzje — influence or manage
  • German: manipulieren — influence or manage
  • Hungarian: manipulál — influence or manage
  • Icelandic: ráðskast með e-n — influence or manage
  • Icelandic: handstýra e-m — influence or manage
  • Ido: manipular — influence or manage
  • Irish: lámhaigh — influence or manage
  • Italian: manipolare — influence or manage
  • Italian: plagiare — influence or manage
  • Norwegian Bokmål: manipulere — influence or manage
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: manipulere — influence or manage
  • Polish: manipulować — influence or manage
  • Polish: zmanipulować — influence or manage
  • Portuguese: manipular — influence or manage
  • Romanian: manipula — influence or manage
  • Russian: манипули́ровать (manipulírovatʹ) — influence or manage
  • Spanish: manipular — influence or manage
  • Swedish: manipulera — influence or manage
  • Tamil: கையாள் (kaiyāḷ) — influence or manage
  • Tamil: இயக்கு (iyakku) — influence or manage
  • Turkish: manipüle etmek — influence or manage
  • Ukrainian: маніпулюва́ти (manipuljuváty) — influence or manage
  • Vietnamese: điều khiển — influence or manage
  • Vietnamese: thao túng — influence or manage
  • Finnish: liikuttaa — handle and move a body part
  • Finnish: liikutella — handle and move a body part
  • Irish: lámhaigh — handle and move a body part
  • Italian: manipolare — handle and move a body part
  • Portuguese: manipular — handle and move a body part
  • Spanish: manipular — handle and move a body part
  • Tamil: அசை (acai) — handle and move a body part
Real reading context

manipulate in complete knowledge articles