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
Relevance
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
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
Sean Rameswaram, Vox, 2 May 2025
What follows across ten episodes are assassination attempts, uneasy alliances, and deft political manoeuvring as the regents use Blackthorne like a pawn.
—Griff Griffin, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 May 2025
Fintan O'Toole, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025
In fact, the stunt was part of a global campaign in which the app pawned different countries against one another to see which could earn the most XP (experience points) to save Duo.
—Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pawn
Noun
From that perspective, a lot of what has happened in the first 100 days is incomplete because while Trump has moved his pawn to King 4, the rest of the system is still reacting.
—Sean Rameswaram, Vox, 2 May 2025
What follows across ten episodes are assassination attempts, uneasy alliances, and deft political manoeuvring as the regents use Blackthorne like a pawn.
—Griff Griffin, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 May 2025
Verb
Fishermen on the coasts had pawned their nets for money to buy maize.
—Fintan O'Toole, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025
In fact, the stunt was part of a global campaign in which the app pawned different countries against one another to see which could earn the most XP (experience points) to save Duo.
—Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pawn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pawn
Verb
-
In a nutshell, FDM printers produce objects via a nozzle that moves back and forth over a print bed, depositing a filament of molten thermoplastic in successive layers.—
Ben Coxworth,
New Atlas,
4 June 2025
-
From the depths of my inner being, a tsunami-sized surge of blazing heat pushed through my cells depositing a deluge of liquid all over my face.—
Harriette Cole,
Flow Space,
3 June 2025
Verb
-
Despite the league’s highest payroll and having already hocked any draft pick that wasn’t nailed down (some of them more than once), the Suns fell 15-18 on the season.—
John Hollinger,
The Athletic,
6 Jan. 2025
-
Conversely, Soto was like the guy who hocks his wedding ring before the separation agreement is signed.—
Greg Marotta,
New York Daily News,
26 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
This means the liquid assets already mortgaged to mostly European actors remain intact, while the physical assets in areas such as agriculture, energy, telecommunications, etc... that are still intact will stay with their previous owners.—
Wesley Alexander Hill,
Forbes.com,
7 May 2025
-
And in both countries, younger generations are increasingly aware that those in power are willing to mortgage their futures.—
Zongyuan Zoe Liu,
Foreign Affairs,
29 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pawn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pawn. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share