exploit

To use someone or something unfairly for your own benefit, often causing harm.

• The company exploits its workers.
• Some employers exploited people who could not find other jobs.
• The scheme was designed to exploit vulnerable families.

How to use it: exploit someone/something for something (They exploited young workers for cheap labour.)

Similar words: take advantage of, abuse

Common phrases: exploit workers, exploit someone, exploit cheap labour, exploit their labour

To use something effectively to gain an advantage or achieve a useful result.

• We should exploit this opportunity.
• The team exploited its speed to win the match.
• New technology helps us exploit renewable energy sources.

Similar words: use, make use of, harness

Common phrases: exploit resources, exploit an opportunity, exploit the potential

A brave, difficult, or impressive action or achievement.

• Her daring exploit made the news.
• The book describes his wartime exploits.
• Their mountain rescue was a remarkable exploit.

Similar words: feat, achievement, deed

Common phrases: daring exploit, heroic exploit, military exploit

A program or method that uses a software weakness to gain access or cause harm.

• The exploit targeted an old browser.
• A security update blocked the exploit.
• Researchers found several exploits affecting the same software.

Common phrases: security exploit, browser exploit, exploit code