as in dolls
a small figure often of a human being used especially as a child's plaything
a collection of action figures of his favorite superheroes
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Recent Examples of action figures
The characters of Prince Adam, He-Man’s alter ego, dressed in a pink vest and seen by some fans as an icon for the LGBTQ+ community, and Orko, a blundering extraterrestrial wizard who helps the prince, were introduced as action figures in 1984.
—
Sanat Pai Raikarall, Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 May 2026
In theaters May 29 By the power of Grayskull, He-Man is back on the big screen in Mattel’s live-action revival of their beloved action figures, proving that 1980s culture never dies.
—Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 18 Apr. 2026
That could spell the end of the line for Sporkey, Rex, Hamm, Bo Peep and the other dolls and action figures that once delighted Bonnie.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026
While the Absolute characters are starting to appear on apparel and action figures are available to pre-order, this marks the first time the characters will be seen in screen form beyond the pages of the comic books.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 15 Apr. 2026
Marvel action figures and signs coat the dining the room.
—Bryan West, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026
While Vu survived, Aaron, who loved Street Fighter action figures and Beats by Dre headphones, didn’t.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 10 Mar. 2026
The companies plan to release action figures, playsets and accessories, vehicles, games, collectibles, role play and other offerings via multiple retailers.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 10 Feb. 2026
In the movie’s first dramatic scene, achingly redolent of memory, the brothers—the older is eleven, the younger eight—loll in front of their family’s house, snacking, grousing, playing with paper action figures, trying to fill the solitude and the silence around them with banter and bravado.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2026
Sanat Pai Raikarall, Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 May 2026
In theaters May 29 By the power of Grayskull, He-Man is back on the big screen in Mattel’s live-action revival of their beloved action figures, proving that 1980s culture never dies.
—Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 18 Apr. 2026
That could spell the end of the line for Sporkey, Rex, Hamm, Bo Peep and the other dolls and action figures that once delighted Bonnie.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026
While the Absolute characters are starting to appear on apparel and action figures are available to pre-order, this marks the first time the characters will be seen in screen form beyond the pages of the comic books.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 15 Apr. 2026
Marvel action figures and signs coat the dining the room.
—Bryan West, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026
While Vu survived, Aaron, who loved Street Fighter action figures and Beats by Dre headphones, didn’t.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 10 Mar. 2026
The companies plan to release action figures, playsets and accessories, vehicles, games, collectibles, role play and other offerings via multiple retailers.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 10 Feb. 2026
In the movie’s first dramatic scene, achingly redolent of memory, the brothers—the older is eleven, the younger eight—loll in front of their family’s house, snacking, grousing, playing with paper action figures, trying to fill the solitude and the silence around them with banter and bravado.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for action figures
dolls
Noun
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The brand is using the milestone to update its core dolls, expand its licensing business, and keep the focus on the original four characters that launched the label in 2001.—
Renan Botelho,
Footwear News,
18 May 2026
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But when it got shortened to Izzy and the plush dolls started coming out, everyone became a little more endearing to this representative of the 1996 Olympics.—
Emily McLeod,
CBS News,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Action figures.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/action%20figures. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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