PAWNS Synonyms: 43 Similar and Opposite Words

pawns 1 of 3

noun (1)

plural of pawn

as in tools

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

pawns

2 of 3

noun (2)

plural of pawn

as in pledges

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

pawns

3 of 3

verb

present tense third-person singular of pawn

as in mortgages

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 pawns

Noun

Ownership is not in bankruptcy, is contesting the foreclosure in court, has offered the lender any and every constructive solution, but will not allow these tenants to be further used as pawns. — Lisa Rozner, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026 Melton was a Mountain West All-Academic pick who today is an avid chess player, moving pawns on his phone or going toe-to-toe with Justin Verlander in the middle of the clubhouse. — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026 With no end to the war in sight, inflation on the rise, fuel rationing and continued threats of strikes, the vast majority of the Iranian population appear not to be players, but pawns. — Will Barker, TheWeek, 14 Aug. 2026 Gulf governments, meanwhile, have dabbled abroad as well, while trying to address grievances among their own Shia populations to prevent them from becoming pawns of Tehran. — Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 15 June 2026 The organization is treating these athletes as political pawns instead of as young people with their own families, goals, futures and careers to think about. — Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 19 May 2026 Making the lives of Idahoans affordable, fixing healthcare, helping farmers produce affordable food and still make a living, saving our public lands and national forest for future generations, and making sure vets, servicemen and women and seniors are not used as pawns in political games. — Kevin Fixler may 3, Idaho Statesman, 3 May 2026 Most people don’t think children should be pawns in any politician’s culture war. — Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2026 The costume is meant to reflect the pawns in a game of chess. — Olivia Wakim, AJC.com, 23 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pawns

Noun

Working in pairs, the contestants have only basic tools and limited food.

— Leo Barraclough, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026
Long’s textbook Marxism is just one of the tools O’Reilly uses to underline O’Neill’s description of The Hairy Ape as a comedy.

— Sara Holdren, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of tools

Noun

The cancelation comes following a number of pledges to boycott Israeli film institutions signed by actors including Javier Bardem and Emma Stone.

— Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 8 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 pledges

Verb

So my guess/belief/thought is that the executive trio is hoping for the best this year, but is unwilling to do anything that mortgages future seasons.

— Josh Kendall, New York Times, 9 July 2026
Those are the players in recent memory who’ve commanded the kind of draft capital that reshapes franchises — the sort of seismic move that mortgages a future and, in return, attaches expectations normally reserved for franchise-carrying superstars.

— Kristian Winfield, Hartford Courant, 22 Feb. 2026

Definition of mortgages

Noun

The defense proposed using an Irvine residence with at least $700,000 in equity to secure her release, along with $120,000 in financial guarantees from her husband, his sister, his father and a family friend.

— Bradford Betz, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
What began years ago as a war for influence in Yemen between Iran and Saudi Arabia has now escalated to a challenge to maritime law rooted in guarantees for harmless passage of commercial ships.

— the Monitor's Editorial Board, Christian Science Monitor, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of guarantees

Verb

LendingPoint approves loans for as little as $1,000, and typically deposits funds as soon as the next business day after signing.

— Dan Avery, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2026
The institution deposits the money and uses it to help pay for scholarships, travel, facilities, salaries and sports that might produce little revenue of their own.

— Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of deposits

Noun

The auction features Pee-wee’s iconic gray suit and other costumes, red Schwinn bicycles, dolls, puppets, claymation figures, scripts and more.

— Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Among the puppets available is a Pee-wee’s Playhouse dinosaur, which is an original wire-armature and foam puppet.

— Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of puppets

Noun

Vanguard High Dividend Yield Index ETF (VYM), for example, chooses securities based on current yield, with only the highest-yielding companies selected, according to ETF Database.

— Cheryl Winokur Munk, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026
Investor and philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs and former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick have joined the company’s board, Skydance disclosed in a securities filing.

— Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of securities

Browse Nearby Words

pawning

pawns

paws

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Pawns.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pawns. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of pawns

noun (1)

noun (2)

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Luddite

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes