marionette

noun

mar·​i·​o·​nette ˌmer-ē-ə-ˈnet 

: a small-scale usually wooden figure (as of a person) with jointed limbs that is moved from above by manipulation of the attached strings or wires

Examples of marionette in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

At times, Expedition 33 feels like a twisted fairy tale, something akin to Alice in Wonderland but far more French (complete with mimes and marionettes). —PC Magazine, 23 Apr. 2025

Or make that 27, because Pudgy, Betty’s pug, a marionette with a lolling pink tongue operated by the puppeteer Phillip Huber, sometimes shakes a leg too. —Jesse Green, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025

As marionette puppets bring his unfinished book to life, family and friends unveil the real person behind the provocative public persona in this captivating documentary. —Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 16 Apr. 2025

There are a few common styles, including the Floppy Puppet (picture someone distractedly operating a marionette) and the Invisible Surfboard (feet planted, knees bent, arms akimbo). —Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French marionnette, from Middle French maryonete, from Marion, diminutive of Marie Mary

First Known Use

circa 1620, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for marionette

• electrojet
• plantagenet
• videlicet
• abet
• asset
• baguette
• banquette
• barbette
• beget
• beset
• brevet
• briquette

Kids Definition

marionette

noun

mar·​i·​o·​nette ˌmar-ē-ə-ˈnet 

ˌmer-

: a puppet moved by attached strings or wires