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 Beyond the music, there are festive parades, workshops for making puppets or gardening, a 5K run, yoga, silent discos and much more. Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 June 2026 Around 2020, one of the rarest first movie puppets more or less fell into my lap, which really got the wheels spinning hard. Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 23 June 2026 Bird featured John Candy, Chevy Chase and Dave Thomas as well as the marquee puppets. Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 20 June 2026 Other works include wearable pieces that are embroidered and feature patchwork to reflect the artist’s culture and heritage, sculptures made of textiles, a fabric book, puppets and more. Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 June 2026 The animals, including Rosie the elephant, a lion named Rex, an orangutan named Agnes and a dog named Queenie, are portrayed either with puppets or with circus performers wearing elaborate costumes. Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 4 June 2026 During the storm The storm has arrived, the power is out and your kids are making shadow puppets with the flashlight. Michelle Marchante updated May 27, Miami Herald, 27 May 2026 Deep in a cavernous New York City warehouse, the artisans behind some of the world’s most beloved children’s characters have been fashioning costumes and puppets for years in relative anonymity. Philip Marcelo, Fortune, 25 May 2026 Last year, General Mills reimagined its cereal mascots as puppets as part of a collaboration with the Jim Henson Company, for its 70th anniversary. Erin Clements, PEOPLE, 22 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puppets
Noun
  • About 146 groups, made up of more than 1,400 participants, marched in the parade, with projects ranging from larger-than-life marionette dolls to squads of children in do-it-yourself costumes to mobile re-creations of LACMA’s most iconic art pieces.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 June 2026
  • Bonnie herself has grown in subsequent sequels, and now Toy Story 5 finds her as a shy 8-year-old struggling to balance her affection for vintage dolls like Jessie with the shinier tech her peers prefer.
    Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 19 June 2026
Noun
  • Gulf governments, meanwhile, have dabbled abroad as well, while trying to address grievances among their own Shia populations to prevent them from becoming pawns of Tehran.
    Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 15 June 2026
  • The organization is treating these athletes as political pawns instead of as young people with their own families, goals, futures and careers to think about.
    Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 May 2026
Noun
  • The 750-ton building was placed onto 20 dollies and moved onto city property where it was ultimately restored and opened as a museum and events venue.
    Camila Gomez, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Each band’s gear had been set up on dollies and risers, secured under forty-foot-long tents.
    Alex Abramovich, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
Noun
  • Mendoza said that the search had been exceedingly difficult without the right tools.
    Isa Soares, CNN Money, 1 July 2026
  • The Drug Enforcement Administration does have those tools, and sometimes works with Brennan's office to investigate cases.
    Tim McNicholas, CBS News, 1 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Puppets.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puppets. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.

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