1. a person who schemes or plots, especially in a devious or underhanded way
Usage: formal

Examples

• The political machinator worked behind the scenes to undermine his rival’s campaign.
• She was known as a clever machinator who could manipulate any situation to her advantage.
• The novel’s villain was a master machinator whose plots nearly destroyed the kingdom.
• Corporate machinators often use insider information to gain unfair advantages.
• The detective suspected that a skilled machinator was orchestrating the series of crimes.
• History remembers him not as a leader but as a ruthless machinator.