pawn 1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈpȯn How to pronounce pawn (audio)
Definition of pawnnext
as in tool
one that is or can be used to further the purposes of another though he liked to play up his influence with city hall, he was really just another pawn of the political bosses

Synonyms & Similar Words

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pawn

2 of 3

noun (2)

as in pledge
something given or held to assure that the giver will keep a promise offered her license as a pawn that she would bring back the rental canoe

Synonyms & Similar Words

pawn

3 of 3

verb

as in to deposit
to leave as a guarantee of repayment of a loan he pawned his antique watch in order to pay off his gambling debt

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pawn
Noun
Paradise Pawn is based on her experiences working behind the counter of a pawn shop. — Literary Hub, 23 July 2026 The process feels like a private atelier appointment rather than traditional banking or a pawn shop experience. — Tanya Akim, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Verb
There were 46 items in the safe, some of which Kisakye allegedly pawned and sold to feed a substantial gambling habit. — Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 3 June 2026 If a helmet is too outdated for your family to use, don't pawn it off on someone else. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 26 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pawn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pawn
  1. tool
  2. pledge
  3. deposit
  4. minion
  5. guarantee
  6. hock
  7. victim
  8. security
Noun
  • Avoid acidic cleaners like vinegar or lemon, as well as harsh chemicals and abrasive tools, to protect the glaze.
    — Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The country's largest school district now has some of the strictest guidelines around younger students using artificial intelligence tools in school — at least, temporarily.
    — Tom Huddleston Jr., CNBC, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of tool
Noun
  • India should stop measuring AI progress by GPU counts, data center pledges and chatbot launch events.
    — Sajal Singh, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2026
  • For that demographic, form is everything, and the paper acquits its pledge that every dog must have its daily.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of pledge
Verb
  • In Nuwakot, riverside settlements including Trishuli Bazaar, Devighat, Betrawati and surrounding areas suffered damage, with homes swept away and large quantities of mud and debris deposited across communities.
    — Justina Lee, CNBC, 8 Sep. 2026
  • She is confronted with that question at her workplace by the mysterious Ricki (Lily James), an intriguing young woman with an uneasy edge looking to deposit a surprisingly hefty sum of money.
    — Tomris Laffly, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of deposit
Noun
  • Just as Wolverine is surrounded, he’s saved by Mystique, who’s shape-shifted herself into one of Trask’s minions.
    — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026
  • One of Danhausen’s minions took out Mysterio with a flipping dive on the outside.
    — Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of minion
Noun
  • Jeremiyah Love isn’t a guarantee for Week 1, and even if Love plays, Allgeier has been a fringe RB3/Flex for three straight seasons.
    — Jake Ciely, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Zelenskyy said the talks also touched on long-term security guarantees and economic support for Ukraine’s postwar reconstruction.
    — SAMYA KULLAB, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of guarantee
Verb
  • The page gave a deep snort, hocking a chartreuse wad against the root of the nightingale’s birch.
    — Hazlitt, Hazlitt, 19 Nov. 2025
  • Shein is far from the first online retailer to run into trouble with third-party vendors hocking controversial wares or flouting policy standards.
    — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 3 Sep. 2025
Definition of hock
Noun
  • The brothers previously faced rape and human trafficking charges in Britain in connection to three alleged victims, CPS said.
    — Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The special, produced in collaboration with the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, will honor the victims killed, and commemorate the resilience of the survivors, families, first responders, and communities whose lives were forever altered by the attacks.
    — Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of victim
Noun
  • The Foundry School is part of the State Department’s Pax Silica program, focused on AI and supply chain security, and includes a partnership with Stanford University to offer advanced-manufacturing curricula across eight college campuses.
    — Lauren Morganbesser, semafor.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The latest development came a day after the military said security forces killed 15 militants who were attempting to cross into northwestern Pakistan from Afghanistan.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of security

Browse Nearby Words

pawky
pawn
pawned
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pawn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pawn. Accessed 11 Sep. 2026.

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