TOP

Definition of manipulate verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

manipulate

verb
 
/məˈnɪpjuleɪt/
 
/məˈnɪpjuleɪt/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they manipulate
 
/məˈnɪpjuleɪt/
 
/məˈnɪpjuleɪt/
he / she / it manipulates
 
/məˈnɪpjuleɪts/
 
/məˈnɪpjuleɪts/
past simple manipulated
 
/məˈnɪpjuleɪtɪd/
 
/məˈnɪpjuleɪtɪd/
past participle manipulated
 
/məˈnɪpjuleɪtɪd/
 
/məˈnɪpjuleɪtɪd/
-ing form manipulating
 
/məˈnɪpjuleɪtɪŋ/
 
/məˈnɪpjuleɪtɪŋ/
jump to other results
  1. (disapproving) to control or influence somebody/something, often in a dishonest way so that they do not realize it
    • manipulate somebody/something She uses her charm to manipulate people.
    • As a politician, he knows how to manipulate public opinion.
    • manipulate somebody into something/into doing something They managed to manipulate us into agreeing to help.
    Extra Examples
    • They believe that voters can be easily manipulated.
    • The organization had been manipulated into bankruptcy.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • easily
    • successfully
    • deftly
    verb + manipulate
    • be able to
    • can
    • attempt to
    phrases
    • the ability to manipulate somebody/​something
    See full entry
  2. manipulate something (formal) to control, use or change something with skill
    • to manipulate the gears and levers of a machine
    • Computers are very efficient at manipulating information.
    • genetically manipulated organisms
    • digitally manipulated images
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • easily
    • successfully
    • deftly
    verb + manipulate
    • be able to
    • can
    • attempt to
    phrases
    • the ability to manipulate somebody/​something
    See full entry
  3. manipulate something (specialist) to move a person’s bones or joints into the correct position
  4. Word Originearly 19th cent.: back-formation from manipulation.
See manipulate in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee manipulate in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
hide-and-seek
noun
 
 
From the Topic
Games and toys
C2
Oxford Learner's Dictionaries Word of the Day