wirepull means to exert an influence on (others) that is felt but not seen. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 91 out of 100.
Why “wirepull” is a great word
WIREPULL — [Verb] To exert unseen, often secret influence, especially for political or personal gain. From the noun phrase 'wire puller' (one who controls puppets by wires), hence 'wire' + 'pull'. Unlike 'manipulate,' which suggests broad and often overt control, or 'lobby,' which implies open advocacy, to wirepull is to operate from an insulated, shadowed remove. It is the unrecorded telephone call from a private club, the strategic leak to a friendly journalist, the discreet nod from a velvet-curtained box—the cold art of making others dance without their ever feeling the string.
Etymology
From wire + pull; see wirepuller.
verb
- To exert an influence on (others) that is felt but not seen.“These basic provisions of the 1954 Geneva agreements on Vietnam do not allow the United States to wirepull its lackeys to rig up the so-called Republic of Vietnam.”