puppet

noun

pup·​pet ˈpə-pət 

often attributive

1

a

: a small-scale figure (as of a person or animal) usually with a cloth body and hollow head that fits over and is moved by the hand

b

: marionette

2

: doll sense 1

3

: one whose acts are controlled by an outside force or influence

a puppet ruler

puppetlike

ˈpə-pət-ˌlīk 

adjective

Synonyms of puppet

• doll

Examples of puppet in a Sentence

a dictator who was perceived as being an American puppet

gave her a puppet with strings for a gift

Recent Examples on the Web

Get lost in one of the Old Quarter’s 36 trade streets, take a walk around Hoan Kiem Lake, or watch a water puppet show at the Lotus Water Puppet Theater. — Iona Brannon, Travel + Leisure, 5 July 2026

The puppet show was saved, according to Tremaine, in the editing room. — Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 2 July 2026

Pre-movie activities include plant puppet-making and carnivorous plant trivia. — Pedro Moura, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026

This Franco-Swiss film from director Claude Barras deploys tenderly expressive puppets to tell the story of a boy placed in an orphanage after inadvertently killing his alcoholic mother. — Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 1 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English popet youth, doll, from Middle French poupette, diminutive of *poupe doll, from Vulgar Latin *puppa, alteration of Latin pupa

First Known Use

1538, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing puppet

• glove puppet
• hand puppet
• puppet regime
• sock puppet

Kids Definition

puppet

noun

pup·​pet ˈpəp-ət 

1

: a doll moved by hand or by strings or wires

2

: doll sense 1

3

: a person or a government whose acts are controlled by an outside force or influence