as in tool
one that is or can be used to further the purposes of another
though he liked to play up his influence with city hall, he was really just another pawn of the political bosses
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in pledge
something given or held to assure that the giver will keep a promise
offered her license as a pawn that she would bring back the rental canoe
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to deposit
to leave as a guarantee of repayment of a loan
he pawned his antique watch in order to pay off his gambling debt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pawn
Patricia Karounos, refinery29.com, 21 Nov. 2024
Plus: The insurance crisis that will follow the L.A. fires
The war in Ukraine, according to Russians
Are Britain’s badgers pests or political pawns?
—Eric Lach, The New Yorker, 10 Jan. 2025
Peter Debruge, Variety, 6 Sep. 2024
Gonzalez, along with her fiancé, Guy Vasquez, 56, pawned their diamond-cluster wedding bands this week just for gas money and food.
—Deon J. Hampton, NBC News, 13 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for pawn 
Noun
Silva elevates CeCe from a pawn on Caroline’s chessboard to the show’s most memorable character.
—Patricia Karounos, refinery29.com, 21 Nov. 2024
Plus: The insurance crisis that will follow the L.A. fires
The war in Ukraine, according to Russians
Are Britain’s badgers pests or political pawns?
—Eric Lach, The New Yorker, 10 Jan. 2025
Verb
During his time at his sister’s, Michael proactively tries to pawn the kids off on others.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 6 Sep. 2024
Gonzalez, along with her fiancé, Guy Vasquez, 56, pawned their diamond-cluster wedding bands this week just for gas money and food.
—Deon J. Hampton, NBC News, 13 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for pawn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pawn
Verb
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Guests must deposit their phones at the entrance and each evening includes a lavish dinner, served in a tasteful setting.—
Lovia Gyarkye,
The Hollywood Reporter,
28 Jan. 2025
-
About six years after Jackson deposited her inheritance in the bank, the Star reported that a bank employee siphoned her account and embezzled about $700,000.—
Sean Neumann,
People.com,
26 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Bandcamp’s cut is 15% on digital sales and 10% when hocking physical stuff (t-shirts, vinyl, CDs, cassettes, etc).—
SPIN Staff,
SPIN,
9 Jan. 2025
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Despite the league’s highest payroll and having already hocked any draft pick that wasn’t nailed down (some of them more than once), the Suns fell 15-18 on the season.—
John Hollinger,
The Athletic,
6 Jan. 2025
Verb
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From the team perspective, the Walker signing indicates the Astros are willing to mortgage the future to assemble a win-now roster.—
Dan Schlossberg,
Forbes,
20 Dec. 2024
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Lifelong Knick fanatic here who refuses to warm to this team after our management utterly mortgaged the team's future via its absurd overpay of 4 unprotected #1s (plus a 2028 swap, plus the Bucks #1 in 2025), years in advance, for a very good, but hardly franchise-worthy, player.—
James L. Edwards III,
The Athletic,
14 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Pawn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pawn. Accessed 3 Feb. 2025.
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