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
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Recent Examples of puppets
Produced in collaboration with la Cinémathèque française, the British iteration of the show reimagines and expands on the 2025 Paris presentation with more than 700 objects, including original storyboards, notebooks, photographs, puppets, models, sketches and costumes from his movies.
—
Stephanie Sporn, HollywoodReporter, 7 Jan. 2026
The puppets’ heads in the past are silicon moulds multi-layered by oil painting to look like aged wood.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 6 Jan. 2026
Today's listen This year, the NPR Music team published 115 Tiny Desk concerts featuring a diverse range of artists, including rap and rock legends, Broadway musicals and even puppets.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 30 Dec. 2025
The puppets' comedic banter represents different classes of the country.
—Engin Kadaster, Travel + Leisure, 29 Dec. 2025
However, bringing life-size puppets of elephants, horses, and more onto the stage does not come easy.
—Dillon Thomas, CBS News, 24 Dec. 2025
Sora, Donald, and Goofy as puppets would be adorable.
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025
Superpowers in a bipolar structure compete obsessively, creating spheres and buffers by cultivating protégés and installing puppets.
—Jennifer Lind, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 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
Stephanie Sporn, HollywoodReporter, 7 Jan. 2026
The puppets’ heads in the past are silicon moulds multi-layered by oil painting to look like aged wood.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 6 Jan. 2026
Today's listen This year, the NPR Music team published 115 Tiny Desk concerts featuring a diverse range of artists, including rap and rock legends, Broadway musicals and even puppets.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 30 Dec. 2025
The puppets' comedic banter represents different classes of the country.
—Engin Kadaster, Travel + Leisure, 29 Dec. 2025
However, bringing life-size puppets of elephants, horses, and more onto the stage does not come easy.
—Dillon Thomas, CBS News, 24 Dec. 2025
Sora, Donald, and Goofy as puppets would be adorable.
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025
Superpowers in a bipolar structure compete obsessively, creating spheres and buffers by cultivating protégés and installing puppets.
—Jennifer Lind, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puppets
Noun
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The resale prices of Labubus started to fall after Pop Mart increased production of the dolls to meet demand, according to CNBC.—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
2 Jan. 2026
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The counterfeit market has caught up, with 236,000 Labubu dolls seized at UK borders alone, raising health and safety concerns.—
Will Barker,
TheWeek,
30 Dec. 2025
Noun
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The Arabs deliberately placed the Arab refugees and their descendants in refugee camps as pawns in the propaganda war against Israel.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Because these prices haven't come in, because the Chinese actually used our soybean farmers as pawns in the trade negotiations.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
7 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
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
-
Most carts, dollies, and internal transport tools are discarded simply because a single part failed or the workflow changed.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Dec. 2025
Noun
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From eye masks for red-eye flights to travel makeup bags, packing cubes, luggage scales, and more, these are the tools that keep overpacking (and overthinking) at bay.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Jan. 2026
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Best Amazon Outlet Outdoor Deals Although the weather is cold and dreary, now is the time to get the hottest deals on outdoor items, especially garden tools, potting benches, and planters.—
Paige Bennett,
Better Homes & Gardens,
15 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Puppets.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puppets. Accessed 18 Jan. 2026.
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