1
as in used
to take unfair advantage of
the type of person who exploits a friend's good nature by constantly sponging off of him
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in manipulated
to control or take advantage of by artful, unfair, or insidious means
a politician more than willing to exploit any national tragedy for political gain
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in utilized
to put into action or service
it will be a shame if you don't exploit your artistic talent to the fullest
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of exploited
All three of his passing touchdowns exploited either a safety or linebacker, per Next Gen Stats.
—
Jourdan Rodrigue, New York Times, 11 Jan. 2026
Not as freaks to be studied from afar, mimicked, and exploited for other people’s creative whims or amusement, but as complex and whole parts of the world worth exploring and celebrating.
—Sarah Kurchak, Time, 9 Jan. 2026
But officials know that the number of cases is underreported and, Bysiewicz said, many victims don’t realize they’re being exploited.
—Kaitlin McCallum, Hartford Courant, 8 Jan. 2026
Attackers exploited the Send Email task inside that system.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 8 Jan. 2026
Paradoxically, the same workers who are exploited for their labor while paying into benefits for other Americans and getting nothing in return themselves are demonized and subject to an increasingly hostile enforcement regime.
—Thomas Kennedy, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Jan. 2026
There’s a special kind of hell that comes from being exploited at a Cool Job—especially, in Austin, at a Cool Local Job.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
The fund is the main source of federal support for child care and includes the state Child Care Assistance Program, which Nick Shirley, the creator of the viral video, alleged was being exploited in Minnesota.
—Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 6 Jan. 2026
Often the updates help keep you safe by patching loopholes in previous versions of software that scammers exploited.
—Shelby Slade, AZCentral.com, 6 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exploited
Verb
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However, Corbett was used as a utility fill-in starter at left guard, center and right guard for the remainder of the season.—
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Elisa, a Concord resident who asked that her last name not be used, said the incident reflects a broader sense of fear within communities.—
Verb
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Freedom from fear mattered because frightened societies are easily manipulated.—
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In some cases, CBS News ran images through AI detection tools, which can be inconsistent or inaccurate but can still help flag possibly manipulated content.—
Verb
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The force utilized by Sterling Heights Police Officer conforms to Michigan law, as well as applicable agency policy, standards, and guidelines.—
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In the United Kingdom, fashion consumption utilized 30,258 square kilometers of land, or roughly the same size as Belgium, in parts of Africa, Asia and Latin America.—
Verb
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The suit alleges that Ham abused her repeatedly over a number of years, and that defendants knew of the abuse, but instead chose to prioritize reputational and financial interests over her safety.—
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Canty, a former special agent in charge of the SBI’s Charlotte region office, resigned from the Mecklenburg Sheriff’s Office in November 2024 and issued a letter then alleging that McFadden abused his powers.—
Verb
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Macro factors like lower consumer demand, higher material and labor costs, and a trend in consumer trade-down to lower margin tire products have applied significant margin and growth pressure.—
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And some Venezuelans, who applied to renew earlier this year, had their TPS extended through early April.—
Verb
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Grok Imagine offers a Black Mirror-esque window into how AI can be leveraged for harm, and yet, as so often feels the case, never-out-the-news tech baron Musk powers on stronger than ever.—
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This ability was leveraged by scientists in 2016 to image a previously undiscovered corridor in the Great Pyramid of Giza.—
Verb
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Student enrollment at Epic had swelled to 60,000 students in 2020-21, the first year of the coronavirus pandemic, and the school employed more than 1,600 teachers that year.—
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DeCristo, who is still employed by the university as an assistant professor in the American Studies Department, did not respond to a request for comment from Bee.—
Verb
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This powerful expansion energy is harnessed to drive turbines and generate electricity.—
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An early architect of the cult of celebrity, Bardot masterfully harnessed the energy of the Swinging Sixties, framing herself as a free-spirited embodiment of a changing world.—
Cite this Entry
“Exploited.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exploited. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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