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
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Recent Examples of puppets
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
As the imaginary train whisks the puppets around the country, the show manages to build anticipation just by making the crowd wonder what comes next.
—Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2026
This famed Disney family attraction features stunning puppets, visual tableaux, Elton John songs and African music.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
Both would essentially be puppets of whatever the teachers unions want.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 30 Apr. 2026
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
As the imaginary train whisks the puppets around the country, the show manages to build anticipation just by making the crowd wonder what comes next.
—Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2026
This famed Disney family attraction features stunning puppets, visual tableaux, Elton John songs and African music.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
Both would essentially be puppets of whatever the teachers unions want.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 30 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puppets
Noun
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Themed products such as Uno, Monopoly, and dolls tied to the film have been released, with more to come.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
15 June 2026
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The show highlights Wu’s new venture, Atomic Lab, a platform for limited-edition collectible dolls inspired by fashion and pop culture.—
Ryma Chikhoune,
Footwear News,
10 June 2026
Noun
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Across movie studios, television networks and content production firms, AI creators CNBC spoke to mentioned using a wide variety of generative AI tools, with Midjourney, Adobe Firefly, Kling, MiniMax, Seedance and Google’s AI Studio being frequently mentioned.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
11 June 2026
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The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists.—
Pete Sweeney,
Kansas City Star,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Puppets.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puppets. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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