ex·ploit
ˈek-ˌsplȯit 
ik-ˈsplȯit
ik-ˈsplȯit
plural exploits
: deed, act
especially
: a notable, memorable, or heroic act
a daring exploit
a book about his youthful exploits
I took out the list of Professor Challenger's exploits, and I read it over under the electric lamp. —
Arthur Conan Doyle
Arthur Conan Doyle About midnight the gang returned, with various articles of plunder, and talked over their exploits … —Sir Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott It used to be rare for C.I.A. employees to recount their exploits, or grievances, in print. —Alex Berenson
Alex Berenson
ex·ploit
ik-ˈsplȯit
ˈek-ˌsplȯit
ˈek-ˌsplȯit
exploited; exploiting; exploits
1
: to make productive use of : utilize
exploiting your talents
exploit your opponent's weakness
2
: to make use of meanly or unfairly for one's own advantage
exploiting migrant farm workers
Examples of exploit in a Sentence
Noun
the fanciful exploits of the giant lumberjack Paul Bunyan
once famed as an actor, John Wilkes Booth is now remembered for a single exploit, his assassination of Lincoln
Verb
He has never fully exploited his talents.
Top athletes are able to exploit their opponents' weaknesses.
She said the tragedy had been exploited by the media.
Recent Examples on the Web
PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
What’s left for her is the social sphere, where her exploits and her temperament are legend.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2025
Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
Furthermore, viruses exploit these interactions by hijacking host proteins to replicate during infection.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for exploit
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.
Noun
Luckily, because this is a zero-day, there’s no evidence that the exploit has been used.
—PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
What’s left for her is the social sphere, where her exploits and her temperament are legend.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
Yet even these entities will adapt, either by exploiting visa loopholes, relying more heavily on student-to-H-1B conversions, or shifting toward the L-1 visa category, which remains unaffected by the new fee.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
Furthermore, viruses exploit these interactions by hijacking host proteins to replicate during infection.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for exploit
Cite this Entry
“Exploit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exploit. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
exploit
1 of 2 noun
ex·ploit
ˈek-ˌsplȯit
ik-ˈsplȯit
ik-ˈsplȯit
: a brave or daring act
exploit
2 of 2 verb
ex·ploit
ik-ˈsplȯit
ˈek-ˌsplȯit
ˈek-ˌsplȯit
1
: to get value or use from
exploit your talents
exploit an opponent's weaknesses
2
: to make use of unfairly for one's own advantage
exploiting migrant farm workers
exploitation
noun
ˌek-ˌsplȯi-ˈtā-shən
exploiter
noun
ik-ˈsplȯit-ər
ˈek-ˌsplȯit-
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share