puppet

noun

pup·​pet ˈpə-pət How to pronounce puppet (audio)
Synonyms of puppetnext
often attributive
1
a
: a small-scale figure (as of a person or animal) usually with a cloth body and hollow head that fits over and is moved by the hand
b
: marionette
2
: doll sense 1
3
: one whose acts are controlled by an outside force or influence
a puppet ruler
puppetlike
ˈpə-pət-ˌlīk How to pronounce puppet (audio)
adjective

Synonyms of puppet

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Examples of puppet in a Sentence

a dictator who was perceived as being an American puppet gave her a puppet with strings for a gift
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
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 At the time, there was a fear that the Germans might attempt to depose Haakon VII and turn the young prince into a puppet king. — Stefania Conrieri, Vanity Fair, 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 Kids and adults can even go backstage at the park’s puppet theater, to see who pulls the strings. — Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for puppet

Word History

Etymology

Middle English popet youth, doll, from Middle French poupette, diminutive of *poupe doll, from Vulgar Latin *puppa, alteration of Latin pupa

First Known Use

1538, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of puppet was in 1538

Phrases Containing puppet

Browse Nearby Words

pupoid
puppet
puppeteer
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Puppet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/puppet. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

puppet

noun
pup·​pet ˈpəp-ət How to pronounce puppet (audio)
1
: a doll moved by hand or by strings or wires
2
: doll sense 1
3
: a person or a government whose acts are controlled by an outside force or influence
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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