as in dolls
a puppet that is moved by pulling strings or wires that are attached to its body
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Recent Examples of marionettes
Sid spent much of the 1950s touring his marionettes in Europe and even appeared with Judy Garland as her opening act during the latter part of the decade.
—
Abigail Adams,
PEOPLE,
13 Apr. 2026
Soon after, making marionettes entered the picture.
—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2026
Natalie Haynes fleshes out the backstories of her cast—Jason, a handsome ship captain on a quest for the Golden Fleece, the scheming sorceress Medea, and Olympian deities toying with mortals like marionettes—and imbues them all with contemporary vibes.
—
Hamilton Cain,
Time,
3 Mar. 2026
There are marionettes, masks, shadow puppets and table top puppets.
—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
24 Feb. 2026
This snowy themed show, which features about 100 marionettes, includes sledding slopes, caroling penguins and Santa’s workshop.
—
Christopher Smith,
Oc Register,
26 Nov. 2025
Abigail Adams,
PEOPLE,
13 Apr. 2026
Soon after, making marionettes entered the picture.
—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2026
Natalie Haynes fleshes out the backstories of her cast—Jason, a handsome ship captain on a quest for the Golden Fleece, the scheming sorceress Medea, and Olympian deities toying with mortals like marionettes—and imbues them all with contemporary vibes.
—
Hamilton Cain,
Time,
3 Mar. 2026
There are marionettes, masks, shadow puppets and table top puppets.
—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
24 Feb. 2026
This snowy themed show, which features about 100 marionettes, includes sledding slopes, caroling penguins and Santa’s workshop.
—
Christopher Smith,
Oc Register,
26 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for marionettes
Noun
-
About 146 groups, made up of more than 1,400 participants, marched in the parade, with projects ranging from larger-than-life marionette dolls to squads of children in do-it-yourself costumes to mobile re-creations of LACMA’s most iconic art pieces.
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Bonnie herself has grown in subsequent sequels, and now Toy Story 5 finds her as a shy 8-year-old struggling to balance her affection for vintage dolls like Jessie with the shinier tech her peers prefer.
Noun
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The 750-ton building was placed onto 20 dollies and moved onto city property where it was ultimately restored and opened as a museum and events venue.
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Each band’s gear had been set up on dollies and risers, secured under forty-foot-long tents.
Noun
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But so can characters pushing the knickknack/plaything boundary, like porcelain figurines and piggy banks.
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Sandplay therapy involves a therapist observing and interpreting how a child plays with a tray of sand, water and figurines within the tray.
Noun
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Its worse-sounding homicide figures are due to the ratio of deaths in a tiny population of less than a million people.
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Cropped tops are flattering on petite figures, so this sleeveless top will look amazing on you.
Cite this Entry
“Marionettes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/marionettes. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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