EXPLOITING Synonyms: 80 Similar and Opposite Words

exploiting

verb

present participle of exploit

as in using

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

as in manipulating

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

as in utilizing

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of exploiting Most real-world cybercrime still relies on easier and cheaper methods, such as exploiting software vulnerabilities, stealing credentials, phishing, malware and ransomware. — Chetan Jaiswal, The Conversation, 30 July 2026 Proofpoint and the National Security Agency jointly warned last week that the group, also tracked as Laundry Bear and Void Blizzard, had been carrying out similar attacks by exploiting a zero-day vulnerability in an email service from Zimbra. — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 30 July 2026 The episode has added to a growing chorus of concern among AI safety advocates, who argue that agents capable of independently identifying and exploiting unknown vulnerabilities across multiple companies’ infrastructure present an unacceptable risk. — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 29 July 2026 Only seven were categorized as low- or moderate-severity, one of which hackers were actively exploiting, according to Dustin Childs, leader of the Zero Day Initiative bug bounty program, which is part of cybersecurity company TrendAI. — Renee Dudley, ProPublica, 29 July 2026 Those suggestions followed heightened scrutiny of improvements in AI’s ability to field more complex tasks with limited human oversight, including spotting and potentially exploiting cybersecurity vulnerabilities in critical software. — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 29 July 2026 According to SecurityWeek, the attack works by exploiting a persistent flaw in AI coding assistants. — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 29 July 2026 The models simply executed their task without proper boundaries, exploiting a third-party vulnerability. — Lutz Finger, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026 In an interview with Fox News, Border Patrol Agent Jose Navarro said cartels may be exploiting unsuspecting members of the public, including rideshare drivers. — Natassia Paloma, USA Today, 22 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for exploiting

Verb

Investigators said Summers was using his phone extensively before the crash, driving 73-75 mph, and tested positive for cocaine and opiates.

— Chadd Cripe. Produced with AI assistance, Idaho Statesman, 30 July 2026
The competition series featured masters of shamanism, tarot, face and foot reading, saju and other divination disciplines competing in challenges that tested their abilities, using tools including fans, bells, dowsing rods and modern-day laptops.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 30 July 2026

Definition of using

Verb

By manipulating network traffic, the attackers redirect guests to fake sign-in pages without first sending a phishing email or compromising the PC.

— Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
What is your reaction to Drew being the one to rat you out about lying and manipulating Angela with your dead mother story?

— Matt Minton, Variety, 31 July 2026

Definition of manipulating

Verb

The woman Morris was convicted of abusing, Cindy Clemishire, has filed a $1 million defamation suit against Morris, the church, former and current elders, and a former church employee in Dallas County.

— Giles Hudson, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026
One of them, a shorter, bearded man with a nose reddened and swollen from years of abusing liquor, gave a low whistle.

— Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 31 July 2026

Definition of abusing

Verb

During the LolaVie styling session, Aniston also praised Cox’s hair while applying the brand’s Glossing Detangler.

— Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 30 July 2026
The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose last week but layoffs remain in the historically healthy range of the past few years.

— ABC News, ABC News, 30 July 2026

Definition of applying

Verb

Gunther, however, consistently taunted Aldis's wife, Mickie James, and son at ringside, employing a brutal, methodical approach.

— Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
The newer Kobe variant diverges by employing Knicks blue and orange through a splatter pattern on its eyestay panel and heel counter, as well as underneath a translucent blue outsole.

— Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 29 July 2026

Definition of employing

Verb

So harnessing the competitiveness and work rate which complemented a generational talent, the former striker went back to the drawing board with gritty determination.

— Greg O'Keeffe, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026
Investing in implementation and tailored training on technology for employees is therefore key to harnessing its full potential and genuinely improving productivity.

— Julien Villemonteix, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026

Definition of harnessing

Browse Nearby Words

exploiters

exploiting

exploits

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Style

“Exploiting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exploiting. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of exploiting

verb

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