as in tool
one that is or can be used to further the purposes of another
though he liked to play up his influence with city hall, he was really just another pawn of the political bosses
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in pledge
something given or held to assure that the giver will keep a promise
offered her license as a pawn that she would bring back the rental canoe
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to deposit
to leave as a guarantee of repayment of a loan
he pawned his antique watch in order to pay off his gambling debt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pawn
Jessica Alvarado Gamez, Denver Post, 1 Mar. 2026
The industry says classifying EWA as a loan could have the perverse effect of sending consumers back to higher-cost, risky alternatives such as payday loans or pawn shops by imposing unnecessary restrictions, such as mandatory fees, interest charges and credit reporting requirements.
—Cheryl Winokur Munk, CNBC, 27 Feb. 2026
Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 10 Dec. 2025
Investigators found jewelry with traces of Pettibone's blood that Geralds had pawned, records showed.
—Matthew Robinson, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pawn
Noun
The 1893 silver crash and the following regional depression left the area in decline, turning it into skid row with brothels, speakeasies, pawn shops and widespread crime.
—Jessica Alvarado Gamez, Denver Post, 1 Mar. 2026
The industry says classifying EWA as a loan could have the perverse effect of sending consumers back to higher-cost, risky alternatives such as payday loans or pawn shops by imposing unnecessary restrictions, such as mandatory fees, interest charges and credit reporting requirements.
—Cheryl Winokur Munk, CNBC, 27 Feb. 2026
Verb
Police later found that Geralds had pawned a gold herringbone necklace that matched one missing from the Pettibone home and had given the pair of sunglasses to a friend.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 10 Dec. 2025
Investigators found jewelry with traces of Pettibone's blood that Geralds had pawned, records showed.
—Matthew Robinson, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pawn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pawn
Verb
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That's $4 earned for every $100 deposited with virtually no risk, as CD accounts have fixed interest rates that will remain the same until the account matures.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
20 Mar. 2026
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Simply depositing money into the account without selecting investments means your contributions may sit as cash, earning little.—
Allison Palmer,
Kansas City Star,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The page gave a deep snort, hocking a chartreuse wad against the root of the nightingale’s birch.—
Hazlitt,
Hazlitt,
19 Nov. 2025
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Shein is far from the first online retailer to run into trouble with third-party vendors hocking controversial wares or flouting policy standards.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Oklahoma Education Association President Cari Elledge equated the plan to mortgaging a teacher’s future for a salary increase today.—
Nuria Martinez-Keel,
Oklahoma Voice,
6 Mar. 2026
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The Rams also draft well in the deeper rounds, which ought to give them some confidence that trading a single first-round pick isn’t the same as completely mortgaging the future.—
Sam McDowell
March 4,
Kansas City Star,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pawn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pawn. Accessed 25 Mar. 2026.
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