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
2
3
: one whose acts are controlled by an outside force or influence
a puppet ruler
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
The entertainment turns out to be a lo-fi puppet show, which Sam suffers in silence with her service cat Frodo sitting in her lap.
—
Damon Wise, Deadline, 27 June 2024
Out of nowhere, there’s a wacko outdoor puppet theater production by a troupe that operates like a New Age cult.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2024
But his opponents are painting Bain as a puppet without firm convictions who is beholden to DeSantis, the Republican who catapulted him to his post.
—Skyler Swisher, Orlando Sentinel, 23 June 2024
People in the west, theorists claim, were looking for catharsis outside of the news, and seeing a sadistic puppet pressure Cary Elwes into cutting off his own leg in a dirty bathroom was oddly comforting back then.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 21 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for puppet 
Damon Wise, Deadline, 27 June 2024
Out of nowhere, there’s a wacko outdoor puppet theater production by a troupe that operates like a New Age cult.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2024
But his opponents are painting Bain as a puppet without firm convictions who is beholden to DeSantis, the Republican who catapulted him to his post.
—Skyler Swisher, Orlando Sentinel, 23 June 2024
People in the west, theorists claim, were looking for catharsis outside of the news, and seeing a sadistic puppet pressure Cary Elwes into cutting off his own leg in a dirty bathroom was oddly comforting back then.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 21 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for puppet
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'puppet.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Puppet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/puppet. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
puppet
noun
pup·pet
ˈpəp-ət 
1
: a doll moved by hand or by strings or wires
2
3
: a person or a government whose acts are controlled by an outside force or influence
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