useful idiot
noun
plural useful idiots
: a naive or credulous person who can be manipulated or exploited to advance a cause or political agenda
… you might want to think twice about voting for your … incumbent senator, congressman or state legislator, who sees you as nothing more than their useful idiot.
Examples of useful idiot in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
While Hamas’ useful idiots here in the United States and elsewhere have parroted anti-Israel propaganda while ignoring the crimes of Hamas, the Palestinian people have suffered the consequences of Hamas’ insistence on perpetuating the war.
—
The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 12 Oct. 2025
But rather than being brave truth tellers, the authors are playing the role of useful idiots.
—Adam Becker, The Atlantic, 19 Sep. 2025
In the early days of the war, for example, the American military quickly became a useful idiot for certain warlord allies, who took advantage of U.S. firepower to eliminate rivals and settle scores.
—Dan Fisher, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
The overwhelming impression Cummings gave was that politicians were the useful idiots who should give him the runway to remake the state.
—Jim Waterson, semafor.com, 6 June 2025
This, too, is abetted by supporters — critics would deride them as useful idiots — who downplay or else rationalize questionable decision-making as five-dimensional chess.
—Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 26 Mar. 2025
Anyone celebrating that is their own sort of useful idiot.
—Harry Siegel, New York Daily News, 15 Mar. 2025
The movie undoubtedly lays the wood on several in Bush’s inner circle — Thandie Newton’s impression of Condoleezza Rice is particularly mean — as W. ponders what happens when a useful idiot falls under the sway of warmongers with bad intel.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 17 Feb. 2025
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The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 12 Oct. 2025
But rather than being brave truth tellers, the authors are playing the role of useful idiots.
—Adam Becker, The Atlantic, 19 Sep. 2025
In the early days of the war, for example, the American military quickly became a useful idiot for certain warlord allies, who took advantage of U.S. firepower to eliminate rivals and settle scores.
—Dan Fisher, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
The overwhelming impression Cummings gave was that politicians were the useful idiots who should give him the runway to remake the state.
—Jim Waterson, semafor.com, 6 June 2025
This, too, is abetted by supporters — critics would deride them as useful idiots — who downplay or else rationalize questionable decision-making as five-dimensional chess.
—Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 26 Mar. 2025
Anyone celebrating that is their own sort of useful idiot.
—Harry Siegel, New York Daily News, 15 Mar. 2025
The movie undoubtedly lays the wood on several in Bush’s inner circle — Thandie Newton’s impression of Condoleezza Rice is particularly mean — as W. ponders what happens when a useful idiot falls under the sway of warmongers with bad intel.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 17 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Useful idiot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/useful%20idiot. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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