puppeteer

American  

[puhp-i-teer] / ˌpʌp ɪˈtɪər /

noun

1. a person who manipulates puppets, as in a puppet show.

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verb (used without object)

1. to work as a puppeteer, by making puppets perform.

puppeteer British  

/ ˌpʌpɪˈtɪə /

noun

1. a person who manipulates puppets

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Etymology

Origin of puppeteer

First recorded in 1925–30; puppet + -eer

Example Sentences

Yau Meng-Jia’s photos of master puppeteer Huang Hai-Dai capture a dying artform whose performer is nevertheless vibrantly animated.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

Son Lindsey is married to puppeteer and former Disney imagineer Terri Harden, whose enormous body of work includes controlling the face of the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man in “Ghostbusters.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 1, 2026

After the puppeteer operated the piranhas in the shot, Blundell and her team would “run in and just make them look a little bit shiny.”

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 12, 2024

Willie Nelson’s 152nd album and Benedict Cumberbatch playing a curmudgeon puppeteer in “Eric” on Netflix are some of the new television, movies, music and games headed to a device near you.

From Seattle Times • May 26, 2024

She reminded Armpit of a marionette who was also her own puppeteer.

From "Small Steps" by Louis Sachar