vulnerable to manipulation

USAGE SUMMARY

"vulnerable to manipulation" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it in a sentence when you want to emphasize that something can be easily manipulated or influenced in a certain way. For example: "Social media often makes people feel more vulnerable to manipulation by powerful corporations."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Our voting machines are vulnerable to manipulation.

The New York Times

Further, electronic voting is vulnerable to manipulation by private companies and computer hackers.

The New York Times

Deprived of any outside information, Sheikh Mohammed would grow more and more vulnerable to manipulation.

The Guardian

Interviews vulnerable to manipulation to ensure hiring of applicants favored for discriminatory reasons?

The New York Times

The decline of large active memberships makes all parties vulnerable to manipulation.

The Guardian - Opinion

They said any secret communications could have left Kushner vulnerable to manipulation by Russian officials.

The Washington Post

Second, the market operates largely in the dark, leaving it vulnerable to manipulation.

The New York Times

Brian Klaas and Nic Cheeseman: America's elections are vulnerable to manipulation.

The Washington Post

Legitimate anger, but anger vulnerable to manipulation, a truism in struggles around the world.

The New York Times

Mr. Rudner argued that the current system was too vulnerable to manipulation.

The New York Times

But the system for "fixing", in the unfortunate terminology, the price of gold looks woefully vulnerable to manipulation.

The Guardian - Business

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Pair the phrase with the specific agent of influence to provide clarity, such as "vulnerable to manipulation by hackers" or "vulnerable to manipulation by political actors".

Common error

Avoid using the preposition "of" or "for" after the adjective. While you might be tempted to say "vulnerable of manipulation", the correct idiom is always "vulnerable to".

Linguistic Context

This phrase functions as a complex adjective phrase where the adjective "vulnerable" is modified by a prepositional phrase. According to Ludwig, it is used to attribute a specific quality of defenselessness to a noun. It typically appears after a linking verb like "be", "seem" or "become".

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

55%

Science & Academia

25%

Formal & Business

15%

Less common in

Wiki & General

3%

Social Media

1%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In conclusion, "vulnerable to manipulation" is a robust and essential phrase in modern English, particularly within the realms of technology, politics and finance. Ludwig AI confirms that the phrase is grammatically correct and exceptionally common in top-tier journalism. Whether you are describing a security flaw in software or a person's psychological state during a crisis, this phrase accurately conveys a state of being at risk. By using it, writers can precisely pinpoint where a lack of defense meets an external threat. It remains the gold standard for discussing systemic or individual weaknesses that could be exploited by others.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

susceptible to manipulation

Provides a near-perfect synonym often used in medical or psychological contexts

prone to manipulation

Suggests a natural tendency or habitual state of being influenced

open to manipulation

Highlights the accessibility or lack of barriers preventing the influence

easily manipulated

Uses a more direct verbal structure to emphasize the lack of effort required

subject to manipulation

Common in administrative or formal writing to denote a state of being under control

exposed to manipulation

Focuses on the lack of protection or the visibility of the weakness

sensitive to manipulation

Implies that even small changes or actions can cause a significant effect

vulnerable to exploitation

Shifts the focus from being influenced to being used unfairly for someone else's gain

prey to manipulation

A more evocative or metaphorical way to describe being a victim

defenseless against manipulation

Stronger term indicating a total absence of safeguards or resistance

FAQs

What does "vulnerable to manipulation" mean?

It describes a person, system or data set that is weak or unprotected in a way that allows others to influence, control or change it for their own purposes.

What is a good alternative to "vulnerable to manipulation"?

You can use alternatives like "susceptible to manipulation" or "prone to manipulation" depending on how much you want to emphasize a natural tendency.

Can I use "vulnerable to exploitation" instead?

Yes, but be aware that "vulnerable to exploitation" specifically implies that the subject is being used for someone else's profit or advantage, whereas manipulation is broader.

Is it more formal to say "subject to manipulation"?

Indeed, "subject to manipulation" is frequently used in legal, academic or technical reports to describe a condition of a system.