puppet

noun

pup·​pet ˈpə-pət 

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

: marionette

2

: doll sense 1

3

: one whose acts are controlled by an outside force or influence

a puppet ruler

puppetlike

ˈpə-pət-ˌlīk 

adjective

Synonyms of puppet

• doll

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

There are seagull puppets, a tandem bicycle, an oil stain in the shape of a rabbit, a meteorite. — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026

The Surfside neighborhood, with its ice cream stands, shallow pools, and merry-go-round is built expressly for children, with face painters and balloon animal artists on hand daily and a puppet show to round out the evenings. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026

Well, according to Artificial—Luca Guadagnino’s bold and bleak satire about the rise and rise of OpenAI—Sam Altman might have more than a little in common with the lying wooden puppet. — Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 6 Oct. 2026

Small Prophets, on the other hand, is much more whimsical; even the homunculi themselves look more like stop-motion puppets than anything scary. — Andrew Webster, The Verge, 6 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English popet youth, doll, from Middle French poupette, diminutive of *poupe doll, from Vulgar Latin *puppa, alteration of Latin pupa

First Known Use

1538, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing puppet

• glove puppet
• hand puppet
• puppet regime
• sock puppet

Kids Definition

puppet

noun

pup·​pet ˈpəp-ət 

1

: a doll moved by hand or by strings or wires

2

: doll sense 1

3

: a person or a government whose acts are controlled by an outside force or influence