Manipulatively

Manipulatively describes actions performed to influence or control someone or something, often in a cunning, self-serving, or underhanded way. It implies a lack of transparency and a deliberate effort to exploit another's vulnerabilities, emotions, or lack of information for one's own advantage. It's about using indirect methods to guide someone's behavior or decisions, often without them fully realizing what's happening. The core of 'manipulatively' lies in the intention to control, often masking the true motivations behind the actions.

Manipulatively meaning with examples

• The politician, operating manipulatively, used carefully crafted emotional appeals and selectively released information to sway public opinion, ignoring the facts for their own gain. The media ate this up, creating a narrative that benefitted only the politician.
• The salesperson, acting manipulatively, subtly implied product defects in competing brands while highlighting non-existent advantages in theirs, pressuring customers into impulse purchases, preying on people with limited information.
• He would manipulatively twist my words, rephrasing my statements so they supported his arguments and undermined my credibility within the group, slowly isolating me from any support I might have had.
• The con artist, working manipulatively, used a fake sob story and carefully chosen language to gain the trust and then the money of sympathetic victims, draining their resources and leaving them emotionally scarred.