People often try to influence others. Sometimes, they do it honestly. Other times, they use tricks to get what they want. Manipulation is when someone controls a situation in a sneaky way. It happens in friendships, business, and even in stories. People use words to describe manipulation in creative ways. These words paint a picture of how someone twists the truth or pulls the strings behind the scenes.
Metaphors help us understand things better. They compare manipulation to actions we can see and feel. Some say manipulators “pull the strings” like a puppet master. Others say they “plant seeds of doubt” to make someone question things. These phrases make tricky behavior easier to understand. In this article, we will explore common metaphors for manipulation and what they mean.
Metaphors for Manipulation
1. Pulling the Strings
Meaning: Controlling someone or something from behind the scenes.
Example Sentence:
- The coach thought he was in charge, but the team captain was really pulling the strings.
- Lisa acted like she didn’t care, but she was pulling the strings to get what she wanted.
Other ways to say: Controlling the game, Behind the curtain
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from puppetry, where a puppeteer moves a puppet by pulling its strings.
Usage: Often used to describe hidden control in politics or relationships.
2. Playing Chess with People
Meaning: Treating people like game pieces to get ahead.
Example Sentence:
- Mark was always playing chess with people, making moves to stay on top.
- She planned everything like a chess game, making sure she always won.
Other ways to say: Moving the pieces, Playing the game
Fun Fact/Origin: Chess requires strategy, just like manipulation.
Usage: Used when someone carefully plans their actions to gain power.
3. Twisting the Knife
Meaning: Making a bad situation worse on purpose.
Example Sentence:
- After beating Jake in the race, Tom twisted the knife by bragging about it.
- She twisted the knife by reminding him of his mistake in front of everyone.
Other ways to say: Rubbing salt in the wound, Adding insult to injury
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the idea of making a wound worse by turning a knife inside it.
Usage: Used when someone makes another person feel worse on purpose.
4. Planting Seeds of Doubt
Meaning: Making someone question something by providing subtle hints or ideas.
Example Sentence:
- He kept planting seeds of doubt about her decision, making everyone unsure.
- Jenny planted seeds of doubt in her friend’s mind about the new teacher.
Other ways to say: Sowing uncertainty, Creating suspicion
Fun Fact/Origin: The phrase comes from the idea of planting seeds that grow over time into bigger thoughts.
Usage: Often used when someone tries to slowly influence someone’s beliefs.
5. Pulling the Wool Over Someone’s Eyes
Meaning: Trick someone into not seeing the truth.
Example Sentence:
- He thought he could pull the wool over her eyes, but she saw right through him.
- The company tried pulling the wool over customers’ eyes by hiding the costs.
Other ways to say: Deceiving, Leading astray
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the idea of covering a sheep’s eyes with wool, hiding what’s in front of them.
Usage: Used when someone hides the truth to mislead others.
6. Getting in Someone’s Head
Meaning: Making someone think a certain way, often against their will.
Example Sentence:
- His comments really got in my head, and now I’m second-guessing myself.
- She was so good at getting in his head that he did whatever she said.
Other ways to say: Influencing thoughts, Mind games
Fun Fact/Origin: Refers to the idea of controlling or manipulating someone’s thinking process.
Usage: Used when someone has control over someone’s thoughts or decisions.
7. Setting the Trap
Meaning: Creating a situation where someone will be caught in a lie or situation.
Example Sentence:
- He set a trap by pretending to be nice, only to catch her off guard later.
- She set the trap by asking him questions she already knew the answer to.
Other ways to say: Luring in, Laying the bait
Fun Fact/Origin: Traps are often used in hunting, symbolizing the idea of tricking someone.
Usage: Used when someone creates a situation to deceive another person.
8. Stirring the Pot
Meaning: Creating trouble or causing conflict on purpose.
Example Sentence:
- Instead of solving the problem, she kept stirring the pot and making everyone angry.
- He loved stirring the pot during family meetings, causing fights.
Other ways to say: Causing trouble, Provoking conflict
Fun Fact/Origin: Refers to stirring a pot to make the contents messy or chaotic.
Usage: Often used when someone adds fuel to a situation to make things worse.
9. Feeding Someone a Line
Meaning: Telling someone a false story or lie.
Example Sentence:
- He fed me a line about being sick just to get out of doing his chores.
- She fed him a line about her plans for the weekend, but it didn’t seem true.
Other ways to say: Telling tall tales, Giving false information
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the idea of giving someone a fishing line with no bait—it’s a trick.
Usage: Used when someone lies or deceives another with made-up stories.
10. Having Someone in Your Pocket
Meaning: Controlling someone completely, often without them knowing.
Example Sentence:
- He had the boss in his pocket and got away with everything.
- She kept her friends in her pocket, making them do whatever she wanted.
Other ways to say: Controlling someone, Having someone under control
Fun Fact/Origin: Refers to keeping someone close and under control, like a small item in your pocket.
Usage: Often used when someone has secret control over another person.
11. Puppet on a String
Meaning: A person who is controlled by someone else.
Example Sentence:
- He acted like a puppet on a string, always doing what his friend told him.
- She felt like a puppet on a string, controlled by her parents.
Other ways to say: Being controlled, Lack of independence
Fun Fact/Origin: The image of a puppet controlled by strings shows how someone is being manipulated.
Usage: Used when someone lacks control over their own decisions or actions.
12. Feeding the Fire
Meaning: Making a situation worse by adding more to it.
Example Sentence:
- His constant complaining only fed the fire during the argument.
- She kept feeding the fire by bringing up old problems.
Other ways to say: Adding fuel to the fire, Making it worse
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the idea of adding wood to a fire to make it burn hotter.
Usage: Often used when someone makes a situation more intense or difficult.
13. Building a Web of Lies
Meaning: Creating a series of lies that become harder to keep track of.
Example Sentence:
- He built a web of lies to cover up his mistake, but it all fell apart.
- She started building a web of lies, but it was too complicated to maintain.
Other ways to say: Telling fibs, Lying constantly
Fun Fact/Origin: Like a spider weaving a web, lies can become tangled and hard to untangle.
Usage: Used when someone tells a series of lies that eventually catch up with them.
14. Under the Table
Meaning: Doing something secretly or dishonestly.
Example Sentence:
- They made the deal under the table to avoid getting caught.
- He offered her money under the table to keep quiet about the mistake.
Other ways to say: Secret deal, Hidden from view
Fun Fact/Origin: Refers to actions that are hidden, like something being done beneath a table where no one can see.
Usage: Often used when someone tries to hide dishonest actions.
15. Throwing Someone Under the Bus
Meaning: Blaming someone else to save yourself.
Example Sentence:
- He threw his coworker under the bus when the project failed.
- She didn’t hesitate to throw him under the bus to avoid being punished.
Other ways to say: Blaming someone, Sacrificing someone else
Fun Fact/Origin: The phrase likely comes from the idea of pushing someone into danger or harm to avoid blame.
Usage: Used when someone blames another person unfairly to protect themselves.
16. Leading Someone Down the Garden Path
Meaning: Deceiving someone by making them believe something false.
Example Sentence:
- He led her down the garden path by promising everything would be fine.
- She was led down the garden path when he told her the project was easy.
Other ways to say: Misleading, Taking someone for a ride
Fun Fact/Origin: The “garden path” is a narrow, winding path that leads somewhere unexpected.
Usage: Used when someone tricks another person into believing something false.
17. Playing Mind Games
Meaning: Using tricks to confuse or manipulate someone’s thoughts.
Example Sentence:
- He was always playing mind games with her to make her doubt herself.
- She loved playing mind games, making him question everything he believed.
Other ways to say: Psychological tricks, Confusing someone
Fun Fact/Origin: Refers to the mental tricks people use to gain control over others.
Usage: Used when someone manipulates another person’s thoughts to get what they want.
18. Holding the Cards
Meaning: Having control over a situation because you know the facts or have power.
Example Sentence:
- After the meeting, she was holding all the cards in the deal.
- He was holding the cards when he knew the secret no one else did.
Other ways to say: In control, Having the upper hand
Fun Fact/Origin: Refers to having a winning hand in a card game, where knowing the cards gives you power.
Usage: Used when someone has power or control over a situation.
19. Playing the Victim
Meaning: Pretending to be hurt or helpless to manipulate others.
Example Sentence:
- He played the victim to avoid taking responsibility for his actions.
- She was always playing the victim to get sympathy and attention.
Other ways to say: Feigning innocence, Pretending to be helpless
Fun Fact/Origin: Often used to describe someone who manipulates others by claiming they are wronged.
Usage: Used when someone pretends to be a victim to gain sympathy or avoid blame.
20. Giving Someone the Cold Shoulder
Meaning: Deliberately ignoring or rejecting someone.
Example Sentence:
- She gave him the cold shoulder after he failed to support her.
- He was upset when his friends gave him the cold shoulder at the party.
Other ways to say: Shunning, Ignoring someone
Fun Fact/Origin: The cold shoulder is a symbol of rejection, often used in medieval times.
Usage: Used when someone intentionally ignores or treats another person poorly.
21. Throwing a Curveball
Meaning: Surprising someone with something unexpected, often to cause confusion.
Example Sentence:
- She threw a curveball during the meeting by changing the plans last minute.
- The coach threw a curveball by switching the players unexpectedly.
Other ways to say: Surprising, Catching off guard
Fun Fact/Origin: A “curveball” is a baseball pitch that moves unexpectedly, just like a surprise in life.
Usage: Used when someone introduces an unexpected change or challenge.
22. Feeding Someone a Line
Meaning: Telling someone a story or excuse to deceive them.
Example Sentence:
- He fed me a line about being stuck in traffic to avoid a meeting.
- She fed him a line about needing more time to finish the project.
Other ways to say: Making excuses, Telling a fib
Fun Fact/Origin: A “line” refers to the story or excuse someone gives to avoid the truth.
Usage: Used when someone gives a false explanation or excuse.
23. The Art of Deception
Meaning: Skillfully lying or tricking someone into believing something false.
Example Sentence:
- He mastered the art of deception and could convince anyone of anything.
- The magician used the art of deception to fool the audience.
Other ways to say: Trickery, Mastering lies
Fun Fact/Origin: Refers to the skill of deceiving others, often used by magicians or con artists.
Usage: Used when someone uses skillful tricks to deceive others.
24. Baiting the Hook
Meaning: Luring someone into a situation by making it seem appealing.
Example Sentence:
- She baited the hook by offering him free tickets to the concert.
- He baited the hook by promising rewards if they followed his plan.
Other ways to say: Tempting, Luring someone in
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from fishing, where bait is used to lure fish into the hook.
Usage: Used when someone offers something attractive to trick someone into doing what they want.
25. Pulling the Leash
Meaning: Controlling someone’s actions closely.
Example Sentence:
- She was always pulling the leash, telling him what to do every second.
- He kept pulling the leash with his friends, making all the decisions for them.
Other ways to say: Controlling, Reigning in
Fun Fact/Origin: Refers to the way a leash is used to control an animal, like a dog.
Usage: Used when someone is being controlled or told what to do constantly.
26. Making Puppets of Others
Meaning: Controlling or influencing others to do your bidding.
Example Sentence:
- He was always making puppets of others, using their fear to get them to do his work.
- She made puppets of her friends, getting them to help her without question.
Other ways to say: Manipulating, Controlling
Fun Fact/Origin: Puppetry involves controlling someone’s actions, similar to how manipulation works.
Usage: Used when someone controls others like a puppet with strings.
27. Spinning a Web of Lies
Meaning: Creating a series of false stories or lies that become difficult to untangle.
Example Sentence:
- She spun a web of lies to cover up her mistakes.
- He spun a web of lies so complicated that no one knew what to believe.
Other ways to say: Lying continuously, Telling fibs
Fun Fact/Origin: Like a spider’s web, the lies can get tangled and hard to escape from.
Usage: Used when someone lies repeatedly, making it hard to find the truth.
28. Giving Someone the Runaround
Meaning: Giving someone confusing or misleading answers to avoid giving a direct response.
Example Sentence:
- The manager gave me the runaround when I asked about my promotion.
- She gave him the runaround by answering his questions with more questions.
Other ways to say: Avoiding, Misleading
Fun Fact/Origin: Refers to the idea of running someone around in circles to confuse them.
Usage: Used when someone avoids giving a clear or truthful answer.
29. Making a Deal with the Devil
Meaning: Agreeing to something that involves risks or unethical actions.
Example Sentence:
- He made a deal with the devil when he agreed to lie to his parents to get money.
- She made a deal with the devil when she agreed to cheat on the test.
Other ways to say: Bargaining for a bad deal, Risking something important
Fun Fact/Origin: Refers to the famous myth of making a dangerous deal with a devil-like figure.
Usage: Used when someone makes an agreement that could lead to harm or trouble.
30. Tying Someone in Knots
Meaning: Confusing someone so they don’t know what to believe or do.
Example Sentence:
- His endless questions were tying me in knots, and I couldn’t answer.
- She tied him in knots with her confusing explanations, making him lose focus.
Other ways to say: Confusing, Twisting words
Fun Fact/Origin: Refers to the idea of physically tying someone up in knots, making them trapped.
Usage: Used when someone deliberately confuses another person to gain control.
Quiz: Metaphors for Manipulation
Instructions: Choose the correct meaning for each metaphor. Each question has one correct answer. Use what you’ve learned from the metaphors to find the best choice.
Question Key
1. What does “pulling the wool over someone’s eyes” mean?
A) To make someone see things clearly.
B) To trick or deceive someone.
C) To show someone the truth.
2. When someone is “playing the victim,” what are they doing?
A) Taking responsibility for their actions.
B) Pretending to be hurt or helpless to avoid blame.
C) Helping others solve problems.
3. If someone is “feeding someone a line,” what are they doing?
A) Telling them a true story.
B) Giving them false information or a lie.
C) Asking for advice.
4. What does “getting in someone’s head” mean?
A) Making someone think a certain way.
B) Helping someone make a decision.
C) Ignoring what someone thinks.
5. If you are “holding the cards,” what does it mean?
A) You have no control over the situation.
B) You are in control and know what’s happening.
C) You’re playing a game with others.
6. When someone is “spinning a web of lies,” what are they doing?
A) Telling the truth.
B) Telling a series of lies that get harder to untangle.
C) Making things clear and easy to understand.
7. If someone is “leading someone down the garden path,” what does it mean?
A) Helping them find their way.
B) Making them believe something that isn’t true.
C) Giving them a helpful suggestion.
8. What does it mean to “throw someone under the bus”?
A) To protect someone from getting in trouble.
B) To blame someone else to avoid responsibility.
C) To share a secret with someone.
9. If you are “playing mind games,” what are you doing?
A) Trying to confuse or manipulate someone’s thoughts.
B) Having a fun conversation.
C) Helping someone solve a puzzle.
10. What does “setting the trap” mean?
A) Helping someone reach their goals.
B) Creating a situation where someone will get caught in a lie.
C) Encouraging someone to do their best.
Answers Key
- B – To trick or deceive someone.
- B – Pretending to be hurt or helpless to avoid blame.
- B – Giving them false information or a lie.
- A – Making someone think a certain way.
- B – You are in control and know what’s happening.
- B – Telling a series of lies that get harder to untangle.
- B – Making them believe something that isn’t true.
- B – To blame someone else to avoid responsibility.
- A – Trying to confuse or manipulate someone’s thoughts.
- B – Creating a situation where someone will get caught in a lie.
Wrapping Up
Understanding metaphors for manipulation helps us recognize when someone might try to control or deceive us. These expressions give us a way to talk about tricky situations in simple terms. By knowing these metaphors, we can spot when someone is trying to mislead or trick us, and we can be more careful in our relationships and decisions.
Keep practicing and remembering these metaphors. The more you understand, the better you’ll be at noticing manipulation in real life. It’s all about being aware and thinking clearly.
