action figure

American  

noun

• action figures
  plural

1. a toy figure with jointed, movable limbs, representing a character in a cartoon, movie, etc., or a real person or animal, often one known for exciting action or extraordinary powers.

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action figure British  

noun

1. a small figure of a character from a film, television programme, comic book etc, designed as a toy and often collected by enthusiasts

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• action figures
  plural

Etymology

Origin of action figure

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

action figure

His predictions sound like something from the 1996 comedy “Jingle All the Way,” in which Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a dad desperately trying to find a sought-after action figure for his son after stores sell out.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 7, 2025

The Chargers set the bar among a throwback action figure commercial, a Mario Kart parody and an ad for a prescription drug.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2025

But he's concerned action figure commissions could soon dry up, as well as the public perception of his work, from thousands of AI images mimicking his passion.

From BBC ● Apr. 18, 2025

A smattering of Ace Ventura and a lot of those ’80s action figure guys.

From New York Times ● May 8, 2024

She scanned her brother’s room: books, old art projects, a few binders of ordinary baseball cards, and his action figure of Hermey the elf.

From "Goodbye Stranger" by Rebecca Stead