Definition of puppetnext
1
as in doll
a small figure often of a human being used especially as a child's plaything gave her a puppet with strings for a gift

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in pawn
one that is or can be used to further the purposes of another accused the newspaper editor of being a puppet for the moneyed people of the town

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 puppet Fairyland’s importance in the area of the puppet arts would be hard to overstate. Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026 The audience interacted with the puppets, who represented different themes, to discuss climate, nature and hopes the future of Austin in the new year. Mikala Compton, Austin American Statesman, 20 Jan. 2026 The puppet makers did a fantastic job. Jordan Moreau, Variety, 19 Jan. 2026 In a bid to rekindle the couple’s honeymoon phase, Yasmin troubleshoots by wheedling a chief executive role for him at payment processing company Tender (run by Max Minghella‘s inscrutable puppet-master Whitney Halberstram), and throwing her husband a lavish costume party for his 40th birthday. Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 18 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for puppet
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puppet
Noun
  • This deluxe doll features Rumi in her all-black tactical gear and her Four Tiger sword.
    Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
  • Kenneth Handler told The Times in a 1989 story that there were few similarities between him and the doll named after him.
    Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Steve Buscemi and Giancarlo Esposito have supporting turns as, respectively, a pawn shop owner and a cop, and joined Turturro onstage where the super-group of Sundance veterans spoke of their personal affection for Robert Redford.
    Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
  • Additionally, pawn shops hold large amounts of gold, and many loans are collateralized by gold jewelry.
    Itzel Franco, CNBC, 30 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Together, these tools create a more streamlined, precise, and safer approach to the repetitive and high-volume tasks common in large-scale data center projects.
    Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 1 Feb. 2026
  • In Mendonça’s work, memory functions as a tool of defiance.
    Stephania Taladrid, New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Ackie mostly barks orders at her minions to go get him, while Nighy in his home plays the bad guy demanding blood.
    Pete Hammond, Deadline, 28 Jan. 2026
  • His latest lesson was giving the finger to a worker at a Michigan auto plant who yelled at him for his handling of the Jeffrey Epstein controversy, thereby giving license to his minions to do the same in any conflict or disagreement.
    Bob Kustra, Chicago Tribune, 22 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Puppet.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puppet. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.

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