patsy

noun

pat·​sy ˈpat-sē How to pronounce patsy (audio)
plural patsies
: a person who is easily manipulated or victimized : pushover

Examples of patsy in a Sentence

They treated us like a bunch of patsies. an Internet newbie who's the perfect patsy for a cyber scam
Recent Examples on the Web The government uses people as patsies to hide its involvement in criminal activity. Mark Travers, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024 DeSantis, who is also campaigning in Iowa this week, shot back, however, casting Scott's criticism as being a patsy for Democrats. Phillip M. Bailey, USA TODAY, 29 July 2023 The arrangement tears the driver’s family apart, but when the driver’s son takes revenge, murdering the politician, the chauffeur tries to find another patsy to take responsibility and the cycle of guilt continues. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 May 2023 Say hello to Graham Flynn (Colin Moss), congressional aide and unwitting patsy. Tanya Melendez, EW.com, 17 Apr. 2023 Collins also sought to tie Allred to national Democrats like Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez; accused the incumbent of pushing policies harmful to Texas businesses; and described him as a patsy for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Tom Benning, Dallas News, 2 Sep. 2020 Tennessee showed up and played the role of patsy. John Canzano, oregonlive, 20 Mar. 2021 The simple plot of Stallone’s working-class fairy tale is that Rocky, as the patsy in a promotion stunt, gets a shot at the heavyweight title held by a tycoon in trunks here called Apollo Creed but satirically modeled, in all his extravagant and lucrative showmanship, on Muhammad Ali. Los Angeles Times, 25 Jan. 2023 There has to be the patsy. NBC News, 26 Nov. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'patsy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

perhaps from Italian pazzo fool

First Known Use

1899, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of patsy was in 1899

Dictionary Entries Near patsy

Cite this Entry

“Patsy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patsy. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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!