puppet

American  

[puhp-it] / ˈpʌp ɪt /

noun

1. an artificial figure representing a human being or an animal, manipulated by the hand, rods, wires, etc., as on a miniature stage.

2. a person, group, government, etc., whose actions are prompted and controlled by another or others.

   Synonyms:

   instrument, figurehead, pawn

3. a small doll.

4. Machinery. poppethead.

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puppet British  

/ ˈpʌpɪt /

noun

1. 1. a small doll or figure of a person or animal moved by strings attached to its limbs or by the hand inserted in its cloth body

   2. ( as modifier )

      a puppet theatre

2. 1. a person, group, state, etc, that appears independent but is in fact controlled by another

   2. ( as modifier )

      a puppet government

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Other Word Forms

• puppetlike adjective

Etymology

Origin of puppet

1350–1400; earlier poppet, Middle English popet, apparently alteration of Middle Low German poppe doll < Late Latin puppa, Latin pūpa doll; -et

Explanation

A doll or figure controlled by a person so that it appears to be moving on its own is a puppet. A puppet can be fun, but if you feel like a puppet, it seems like someone is controlling you. Not fun. A puppet show, performed for an audience, is a kind of theater — with puppets instead of actors. Hand puppets' arms are controlled by the puppeteer's fingers, while marionettes have many more nuances of movement due to the strings attached to various parts of their bodies. These complex puppets can appear very human-like. Sometimes puppet means someone who is controlled by others: "He was president, but he was just a puppet for his political party."

Example Sentences

The more intricate Rocky puppet that appears on screen was later designed by Neal Scanlan, a legendary special effects artist, at the Creature Shop in London.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

Firmin said the person who took the puppet "did the right thing" to confess.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

Or that Winston Churchill—who in 1919 said Bolshevism should be strangled in its cradle—became Stalin’s puppet 22 years later?

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026

Dunk, a hedge knight who cannot abide the strong preying on the weak, might have intervened regardless of his romantic feelings for Tanselle, the Dornish puppet master who treated him kindly.

From Salon • Feb. 25, 2026

As though invisible strings were tied to Snape’s wrists, neck, and knees, he was pulled into a standing position, head still lolling unpleasantly, like a grotesque puppet.

From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling

Related Words

• figurehead
• instrument
• pawn
• servant
• stooge
• tool