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Synonyms

manipulator

American  
[muh-nip-yuh-ley-ter] / məˈnɪp jəˌleɪ tər /

noun

  • manipulators
    plural
  1. a person who manipulates.

  2. a mechanical device for the remote handling of objects or materials in conditions not permitting the immediate presence of workers.


Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of manipulator

First recorded in 1850–55; manipulate + -or 2

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

“A few years after I moved in, Pinnacle, run by a rich real estate manipulator, bought the building and immediately enacted a rollback — not on stabilized rents, but on maintenance,” the tenant said.

From Salon Jun. 13, 2026

She called him a "master manipulator" who "set the tone" at the home.

From BBC Jun. 8, 2026

The production, helmed by the company’s artistic director, Eric Tucker, who also plays that malevolent master manipulator, Iago, matches the minimal cast with a scrappy, simple production.

From The Wall Street Journal May 3, 2026

Friday, the Thirteenth author Lawson, himself a noted stock manipulator who used the mass media of his era to influence markets and make and lose a fortune, called it “the Wall Street hoodoo-day.”

From Barron's Mar. 13, 2026

“Well, well, Miss Podgórska. You are quite the little manipulator after all.”

From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron

“We’re committed to deterring and finding the bad actors, manipulators, and those who willingly cheat.”

From The Wall Street Journal Feb. 25, 2026

Sociopaths like Iago may be an empty shell of evil, but they can also be ingenious manipulators.

From Los Angeles Times Jan. 17, 2026

Devoid of communal deliberation, people become easy marks for manipulators who play to base fears or shallow emotional appeals.

From Salon Apr. 13, 2025

"We designed these robotic arms based on an AI search and design optimization, to look for designs of classic robot manipulators with certain engineering constraints," Ballesteros says.

From Science Daily May 15, 2024

“To be sure, and therein lies the key to my skill. Only birds can manipulate time. Therefore, all time manipulators must be able to take the form of a bird.”

From "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" by Ransom Riggs

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