puppet

noun

ˈpə-pət How to pronounce puppet (audio)
Definition of puppetnext
1
as in doll
a small figure often of a human being used especially as a child's plaything gave her a puppet with strings for a gift

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in pawn
one that is or can be used to further the purposes of another accused the newspaper editor of being a puppet for the moneyed people of the town

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of puppet Project Hail Mary aside, though, Ortiz is probably most known for his Off-Broadway creation, The Woodsman, which earned him a 2016 Obie Award for puppet design. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 28 July 2026 Membership involves absolutely no hooded robes, geopolitical puppet-mastering, or child sacrifices. — Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 26 July 2026 One day, Kozue locks eyes with Jinta, a young man who is visiting the school to perform a shadow-puppet show. — Elena Lazic, Variety, 25 July 2026 The documentary utilizes a montage of vintage footage with animation and felt puppets of band members, and, having played the festivals, is due for national release sometime in 2026. — Steve Appleford, SPIN, 20 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for puppet
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puppet
  1. doll
  2. pawn
  3. tool
  4. minion
Noun
  • Now, she's been immortalized with a Barbie doll and the pink energy of girlhood is headed for State Farm Arena.
    — Irene Wright, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Wear pink and scoop up some limited edition merch, but no word if Angel Reese’s new doll will be on the shelves (can confirm, however, that Reese spent part of her weekend giving back).
    — Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of doll
Noun
  • Paradise Pawn is based on her experiences working behind the counter of a pawn shop.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 July 2026
  • The process feels like a private atelier appointment rather than traditional banking or a pawn shop experience.
    — Tanya Akim, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of pawn
Noun
  • For two decades she's turned the science of human behavior into practical tools that help people communicate with confidence.
    — Big Think, Big Think, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Recent incidents expose critical security risks with autonomous AI agents, which act unsupervised using credentials and tools.
    — Sandy Carter, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of tool
Noun
  • One of Danhausen’s minions took out Mysterio with a flipping dive on the outside.
    — Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Daniel isn’t this devil’s only minion; Armand’s got an Illumination movie’s worth of cronies doing his bidding.
    — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 20 July 2026
Definition of minion

Browse Nearby Words

pupped
puppet
puppets
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Puppet.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puppet. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on puppet

Nglish: Translation of puppet for Spanish Speakers

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