pawn 1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈpȯn How to pronounce pawn (audio)
Definition of pawnnext
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

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pawn

2 of 3

noun (2)

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

pawn

3 of 3

verb

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pawn
Noun
Lee was convicted of fatally shooting Jimmy Ellis, 53, and Elaine Thompson, 44, during a pawn shop holdup in 1998 in Orrville, about 60 miles west of Montgomery. — Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2026 There are low-budget neon casinos, pawn shops, all-night wedding chapels, and jewelry exchanges promising top dollar for coins, bullion, and scrap. — Jeff Weiss, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2026
Verb
There were 46 items in the safe, some of which Kisakye allegedly pawned and sold to feed a substantial gambling habit. — Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 3 June 2026 If a helmet is too outdated for your family to use, don't pawn it off on someone else. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 26 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pawn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pawn
  1. tool
  2. pledge
  3. deposit
  4. minion
  5. guarantee
  6. hock
  7. victim
  8. security
Noun
  • There’s the plush seating area for makeup, hair, and comfortable waiting, of course, but there’s also a bathroom replete with outlets for styling tools and with multiple sinks.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Oct. 2026
  • This year's prizes began with the Nobel for medicine, awarded Monday to three scientists whose work led to a tool that uses light to help unravel how the brain works.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of tool
Noun
  • The president made a similar pledge at the Republican National Committee’s first midterm convention in Dallas last month.
    — Luke Fountain, CNBC, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Bolsonaro, 45, pledges to slash the deficit and realign the country's foreign policy with Washington.
    — Catherine Osborn, NPR, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of pledge
Verb
  • After her death, Ettie executed Florine’s estate, depositing her paintings in major collections and organizing exhibitions.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Oct. 2026
  • To pay for this labor, inmates claim that individuals outside of prison are depositing thousands of dollars into the commissary accounts of those serving the rapper.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of deposit
Noun
  • There are references to demons, being burned alive, and the duende king explicitly commands his minions to kill Jo and Raissa.
    — Parents, Parents, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Musashi becomes part of a crew that fights the Genma and Yoshitsune’s minions.
    — Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of minion
Noun
  • Certain weather changes are common during El Niños, but there are no guarantees that extreme weather events this winter will match those predictions for every region.
    — Lauren Sommer, NPR, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Plenty of things cost relatively little but provide significant value, such as clear pricing, FAQs, credentials, reviews, guarantees and useful takeaways.
    — David Cozzens, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of guarantee
Verb
  • So too are editor Pauline Gaillard’s sharp cuts, which are often timed exactly to coincide with the moment that someone lost in faraway thought finishes swirling their mouthful of Pinot Noir and hocks it unceremoniously into a nearby receptacle.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The page gave a deep snort, hocking a chartreuse wad against the root of the nightingale’s birch.
    — Hazlitt, Hazlitt, 19 Nov. 2025
Definition of hock
Noun
  • The victim reported that four teenagers stole their necklace and fled the scene, according to police.
    — Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The drama turns on a young woman, victim of spike drinking at a lavish New Year’s Eve party in a remote manor.
    — Annika Pham, Variety, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of victim
Noun
  • The surrounding area has also become increasingly popular among billionaires, and in nearby Palm Beach, security has become part of the draw.
    — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The Interrogator centers on former MI6 agent Conrad Henry and his team of outsider geniuses, who are brought in to solve cases after conventional policing and security hasn’t worked.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of security

Browse Nearby Words

pawky
pawn
pawned
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Cite this Entry

“Pawn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pawn. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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