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Synonyms

puppet

American  
[puhp-it] / ˈpʌp ɪt /

noun

  1. an artificial figure representing a human being or an animal, manipulated by the hand, rods, wires, etc., as on a miniature stage.

  2. a person, group, government, etc., whose actions are prompted and controlled by another or others.

    Synonyms:
    instrument, figurehead, pawn

  3. a small doll.

  4. Machinery. poppethead.

puppet British  
/ ˈpʌpɪt /

noun

    1. a small doll or figure of a person or animal moved by strings attached to its limbs or by the hand inserted in its cloth body

    2. ( as modifier )

      a puppet theatre

    1. a person, group, state, etc, that appears independent but is in fact controlled by another

    2. ( as modifier )

      a puppet government
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • puppetlike adjective

Etymology

Origin of puppet

1350–1400; earlier poppet, Middle English popet, apparently alteration of Middle Low German poppe doll < Late Latin puppa, Latin pūpa doll; -et

Explanation

A doll or figure controlled by a person so that it appears to be moving on its own is a puppet. A puppet can be fun, but if you feel like a puppet, it seems like someone is controlling you. Not fun. A puppet show, performed for an audience, is a kind of theater — with puppets instead of actors. Hand puppets' arms are controlled by the puppeteer's fingers, while marionettes have many more nuances of movement due to the strings attached to various parts of their bodies. These complex puppets can appear very human-like. Sometimes puppet means someone who is controlled by others: "He was president, but he was just a puppet for his political party."

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Vocabulary lists containing puppet

Excerpt from "A Midsummer Night's Dream"

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Stephanie Divinski looks down at her shoulder puppet.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

Ortiz admits it was an adjustment to work with a puppet he didn’t design himself.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

The puppet, from the children's TV series The Clangers, was taken in the early 1970s.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

For the price of a regular movie ticket, the Roxy’s patrons could also watch the singer, the puppet show and the comedian, live.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 2, 2026

She heard the overgrown puppet chasing her as she raced to the edge of the pond and hurled the wooden arms into the water.

From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.