puppets

noun

plural of puppet
1
as in dolls
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 pawns
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 puppets While the show relies heavily on visual effects, the goal is to always do everything as practically as possible — including creatures like the Radscorpion and Deathclaws, which use puppets and animatronics. — Matt Minton, Variety, 18 Aug. 2026 Viewers will see Mister Rogers’ familiar sweaters and shoes, Trolley and puppets including Daniel Striped Tiger, Lady Elaine Fairchilde and X the Owl. — Usa Today, USA Today, 17 Aug. 2026 Their stories were told through drawings, comic books, artwork, photographs, letters, even puppets. — Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2026 That’s especially the case when the puppets belong to String & Shadow Puppet Theater, an Olympia, Washington,-based troupe known for its fanciful and lighthearted productions, presented each summer in a traveling tour. — Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2026 As the title suggests, Jim Henson’s puppets are front and center with Dorothy Gale (Ashanti), an aspiring singer who gets caught in a tornado after sharing her demo with the Muppets. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Aug. 2026 Brian Henson’s adventurous stage show featuring improv and sketch comedy with the iconic Henson puppets and puppeteers is back for a limited eight-performance run. — Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2026 So spring of 2027, a stage show, all me, dancers, puppets, all my ideas. — Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 23 July 2026 The latest episode finished off the chase and capture of the puppets in question, and also introduced us to the Puppet Master (who was also a puppet, obviously). — Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puppets
  1. dolls
  2. pawns
  3. dollies
  4. tools
Noun
  • The only other guests were our daughter’s dolls and stuffed animals.
    — Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026
  • In South Korea, more than 12,000 AI companion dolls are already reportedly in use.
    — Belonging Forum, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of dolls
Noun
  • Melton was a Mountain West All-Academic pick who today is an avid chess player, moving pawns on his phone or going toe-to-toe with Justin Verlander in the middle of the clubhouse.
    — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
  • With no end to the war in sight, inflation on the rise, fuel rationing and continued threats of strikes, the vast majority of the Iranian population appear not to be players, but pawns.
    — Will Barker, TheWeek, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of pawns
Noun
  • The 750-ton building was placed onto 20 dollies and moved onto city property where it was ultimately restored and opened as a museum and events venue.
    — Camila Gomez, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Each band’s gear had been set up on dollies and risers, secured under forty-foot-long tents.
    — Alex Abramovich, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
Definition of dollies
Noun
  • The recent moves have been compared to tools the Federal Reserve has used in the past to provide liquidity to debt markets and to hold rates in check.
    — Jeff Cox, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Document tools support multi-document chats, translation, presentation creation, and PDF interactions.
    — StackCommerce Team, PC Magazine, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of tools

Browse Nearby Words

puppet
puppets
puppies
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Puppets.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puppets. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of devolve

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Why do we say 'break a leg'?

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All