pawn 1 of 3

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

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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

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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

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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
An arrest warrant said Marks sold a woman’s wedding ring with a half-karat diamond at a pawn shop for $300. Charlotte Observer, 6 May 2026 Making the lives of Idahoans affordable, fixing healthcare, helping farmers produce affordable food and still make a living, saving our public lands and national forest for future generations, and making sure vets, servicemen and women and seniors are not used as pawns in political games. Kevin Fixler may 3, Idaho Statesman, 3 May 2026
Verb
Others pawned jewelry to help pay their bills. Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026 In fact, jewelry remains the most frequently sold and pawned categories, according to a Canaccord survey of several EZCorp and FirstCash locations. Itzel Franco, CNBC, 30 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pawn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pawn
Noun
  • Maybe a computer was a new tool for understanding poetry.
    Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
  • So Amrik taught Rai to cherish his tools and treat them with the utmost care.
    Gabby Herzig, New York Times, 18 May 2026
Noun
  • The pledge outlined steps the festival would take to move toward greater inclusion of women in its lineup, including generating gendered statistics for its annual program, while working toward achieving gender equity in its governing bodies and programming committees.
    Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2026
  • Pressure for Starmer to step aside has intensified since Labour suffered disastrous losses in local and regional elections last week, underscoring voter frustration with a government that has failed to deliver on pledges to boost economic growth and improve living standards for working people.
    ABC News, ABC News, 14 May 2026
Verb
  • Funds are deposited into a bank account in aggregate.
    Sameer Gulati, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
  • Like many of the island’s residents, fortysomething Silvia makes a modest living harvesting and selling the seaweed deposited on the beach by churning, generous waters.
    Guy Lodge, Variety, 20 May 2026
Noun
  • Your president and his minions spread war, chaos, lies and economic instability.
    Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 27 Apr. 2026
  • Scott Quigley, a loyal minion of yet another septuagenarian Democrat hack DA, Marian Ryan of Middlesex County.
    Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 26 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • If it is treated as a disciplined effort to combine security guarantees, infrastructure renewal, governance reform, and private capital, then Ukraine’s farms, mills, mines, and energy system could become more than symbols of resilience.
    Ariel Cohen, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
  • These are associations across multiple studies, not clinical guarantees, but the directional signal is consistent.
    Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 20 May 2026
Verb
  • One borrower who manages a large hedge fund hocked his wife’s eight-carat diamond ring—worth upwards of $600,000—after receiving a large margin call (the loan was eventually repaid and the ring was returned.
    Sergei Klebnikov, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2026
  • The page gave a deep snort, hocking a chartreuse wad against the root of the nightingale’s birch.
    Hazlitt, Hazlitt, 19 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • With Edgewater in the flood zone and Station 42 and Three Rock in disaster response mode, Bode (Max Thieriot) was on a side quest to make amends with Danny Marks (Mike O'Malley), a victim of Bode's criminal past.
    Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 23 May 2026
  • Two victims were pronounced dead at the scene, while a third later died at the University of New Mexico Hospital.
    Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 23 May 2026
Noun
  • Plus, the adjustable back strap adds a little extra security for busy travel days.
    Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 22 May 2026
  • Productions rely on these outside contractors and vendors, gig workers, security, caterers, VFX houses, soundstage owners, below-the-line workers and more.
    Joseph M. Singer, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Pawn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pawn. Accessed 24 May. 2026.

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