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

New toy: Buzz Lightyear, an action figure convinced he’s a real space hero.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026

The original may have been R-rated and extraordinarily violent, but it also has its own action figure line.

From Salon ● Nov. 12, 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