(figuratively) Someone who is manipulative and thus able to get people to do what they want or events to develop in the way they want, respectively, in a puppet-like manner.
“My unpaid bills just pile up, silently cursing their puppeteering ineptitude.”
“Sponsored by the Douglas Students' Union Performing Arts Committee, the eclectic event includes music, spoken word, puppeteering, slide shows, and jeer leading.”
“Born in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1929, he escaped the clutches of a military father and an unhinged alcoholic mother to try his luck first at acting, then puppeteering.”