Synonyms of puppet

puppet

noun

ˈpə-pət 

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

• doll
• dolly
• poppet
• action figure
• marionette
• rag doll
• figurine
• handpuppet
• figure

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

• pawn
• tool
• minion
• victim
• sucker
• instrument
• lay figure
• cat's-paw
• foil
• stooge
• chump
• dupe
• gull
• yes-man
• lapdog

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of puppet

Hundreds of puppets had to be created, and fitting characters like the Smiling Friends that were clearly designed for 2D animation into 3D spaces required some fabrication miracles. — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 30 Aug. 2026

Other inspirations for the project include the Giant Pink Sea Snail from Doctor Dolittle, giant mechanical elephant puppets by Royal de Luxe and Jules Verne’s imaginative creations. — Jim Dobson, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Thanks to the rigorously retro-cheap aesthetics of the film’s crack design team (production designer Anna Kathleen, costume designer Shawna-Nova Foley and puppet creator Devon Hawkes Ludlow), your memories of being tube-babysat will be triggered. — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026

Then the blast hits, burning Sarah alive (actually a full-sized puppet) and reducing those children to ash. — ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026