puppets

noun

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 Curry never took himself too seriously as an actor and blended seamlessly with human actors and puppets alike. — ArsTechnica, 26 Aug. 2026 Putting on a Muppet show is always an elaborate production involving angles, runways, monitors and sets that make the audience forget that these are puppets. — Mya Copeland, Variety, 25 Aug. 2026 Focusing outside the self Growing up in the 1950s, Bell first saw puppets on television shows geared toward children. — Tran Chau, Hartford Courant, 24 Aug. 2026 Viewers will see Mister Rogers’ familiar sweaters and shoes, Trolley and puppets including Daniel Striped Tiger, Lady Elaine Fairchilde and X the Owl. — Usa Today, USA Today, 17 Aug. 2026 Their stories were told through drawings, comic books, artwork, photographs, letters, even puppets. — Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2026 That’s especially the case when the puppets belong to String & Shadow Puppet Theater, an Olympia, Washington,-based troupe known for its fanciful and lighthearted productions, presented each summer in a traveling tour. — Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2026 As the title suggests, Jim Henson’s puppets are front and center with Dorothy Gale (Ashanti), an aspiring singer who gets caught in a tornado after sharing her demo with the Muppets. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Aug. 2026 Brian Henson’s adventurous stage show featuring improv and sketch comedy with the iconic Henson puppets and puppeteers is back for a limited eight-performance run. — Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puppets
  1. dolls
  2. pawns
  3. dollies
  4. tools
Noun
  • The dolls and books, which depict 9- and 10-year-olds, became part of daily life for millions of American girls.
    — Tara Strauch, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Most store shelves were filled with fashion dolls and products focused on beauty and appearance.
    — Jodi Bondi Norgaard, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of dolls
Noun
  • Melton was a Mountain West All-Academic pick who today is an avid chess player, moving pawns on his phone or going toe-to-toe with Justin Verlander in the middle of the clubhouse.
    — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
  • With no end to the war in sight, inflation on the rise, fuel rationing and continued threats of strikes, the vast majority of the Iranian population appear not to be players, but pawns.
    — Will Barker, TheWeek, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of pawns
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
Definition of dollies
Noun
  • The recent moves have been compared to tools the Federal Reserve has used in the past to provide liquidity to debt markets and to hold rates in check.
    — Jeff Cox, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Document tools support multi-document chats, translation, presentation creation, and PDF interactions.
    — StackCommerce Team, PC Magazine, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of tools

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puppets
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Cite this Entry

“Puppets.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puppets. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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