From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishmanipulatorma‧nip‧u‧la‧tor /məˈnɪpjəleɪtə $ -ər/ noun [countable] USE A PERSONsomeone who is skilful at getting what they want by cleverly controlling or deceiving other people
Examples from the Corpus
manipulator• Indeed from the standpoint of a cynical manipulator we could even invert his logic.• Research has shown that so-called Machiavellians can be effective manipulators of other people.• But the power to tax also is the lifeblood of powerful manipulators of the political system.• This argument has received wide currency, in part because it again presents Gloucester as the victim of circumstances rather than their manipulator. 