manipulate
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
to control or influence someone in a clever or unfair way so that they do what you want.
to influence or control a person or situation deviously, especially for one's own advantage. Transitive; often carries a negative moral connotation.
Simple“He knew how to manipulate his parents into buying him a new phone.”
In context“The politician was accused of trying to manipulate public opinion by spreading false information through social media channels.”
UsageOften used with a person or a collective noun like 'the public' or 'the media' as the object.
- 02 C1 Advanced
to move or control something skillfully with your hands.
to operate or move something manually with dexterity and skill.
Simple“The puzzle requires you to manipulate the small wooden blocks to form a cube.”
In context“The surgeon used robotic arms to manipulate the tiny instruments with a level of precision that would be impossible by hand.”
UsageCommon in technical, medical, or artistic contexts involving fine motor skills.
- 03 C1 Advanced
to change or arrange information, numbers, or data to get the result you want.
to process or organize data; in a negative sense, to falsify or tamper with records.
Simple“You can use this software to manipulate the images and change their colours.”
In context“The researchers were criticized for trying to manipulate the experimental data to support their original hypothesis.”
UsageIn academic writing, it can be neutral (processing data) or negative (tampering with results).
- 04 C2 Proficiency
to move a part of someone's body, like their back or neck, to help reduce pain.
to treat a part of the body by moving it manually, especially to restore mobility to a joint.
Simple“The physiotherapist had to manipulate my shoulder to help it move properly again.”
In context“The osteopath performed a series of movements to manipulate the patient's spine and relieve the pressure on the nerves.”
Usage easily manipulate
“The accounts have managed to manipulate the algorithms on major social media sites by sharing emotive and hopeful content to gain more traction.”
“Jordan highlighted how software had been manipulated by Volkswagen to give incorrect results about emissions results as well noting issues with Boeing’s engine testing and electronic voting machines in Ireland.”
Back-formation from manipulation.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.