puppets

plural of puppet
1
as in dolls
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 pawns
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 puppets But considering the Ambriz siblings undertook such an elaborate story involving supernatural puppets and a fantastical land, presumably for a fraction of the cost, the result is major step forward for the medium, and in particular this technique in Mexico. Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 31 Oct. 2025 DePriest won a full drama scholarship to the University of Oklahoma and after college acted on stages in Dallas and hosted two local TV shows, Ladies First and Maggie and Her Friends, a kids program with puppets. Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 29 Oct. 2025 A number of the puppets featured in Fraggle Rock — like Uncle Traveling Matt and Doozer — are also up for auction, with each estimated to fetch at least $40,000. Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025 Chaos reigns in the studio as ballerinas, toy soldiers, and puppets scatter across the screen. Erik Morse, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2025 Find giant puppets and family activities from the Multicultural Artists Guild at the children’s museum; the art museum will offer sugar skull-decorating, dance and music. Lisa Hix, Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2025 The band, known for its chaotic sound and playful live shows with puppets and props, signed with Jack White's Third Man Records in 2023. Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean, 20 Oct. 2025 One interlude, in the show's final segment, displays Brandy and Monica as puppets bound up in each other’s strings. Tamia Fowlkes, jsonline.com, 18 Oct. 2025 They’re populated with wooden puppets representing Loro Piana artisans, adorned with a rich palette of luminous gold, deep brown, dark green and touches of Art Deco as an ode to New York City. David Moin, Footwear News, 17 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puppets
Noun
  • Other 'KPop Demon Hunters' toys available for preorder More merchandise, including dolls, action figures, and accessories, will be available for retail in Spring 2026, according to an announcement on Netflix's website.
    Julia Gomez, USA Today, 11 Nov. 2025
  • The book—published on this fateful day by American Girl, the company that had long furnished me with the beloved plastic dolls and accompanying literature that taught me simplistic and sanitized stories about our nation’s history—was called The Care and Keeping of You.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • The others are just underwritten pawns in a contrived mystery.
    Judy Berman, Time, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Stop using veterans as pawns & reopen the government.
    Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • New data science tools are rapidly improving the speed and accuracy of detecting slight changes.
    Matthew W. Kreuter, CNN Money, 8 Nov. 2025
  • Despite over a century of investigation, there is still no cure, but advances in diagnostic tools, treatments and preventive strategies continue to offer hope for slowing the disease and improving quality of life for patients and caregivers.
    The San Diego Union Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Puppets.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puppets. Accessed 18 Nov. 2025.

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