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Showing results for puppetry. Search instead for puppet+play.
Synonyms

puppetry

American  
[puhp-i-tree] / ˈpʌp ɪ tri /

noun

plural

puppetries

  1. the art of making puppets or presenting puppet shows.

  2. the action of puppets.

  3. mummery; mere show.

  4. puppets collectively.

puppetry British  
/ ˈpʌpɪtrɪ /

noun

  1. the art of making and manipulating puppets and presenting puppet shows

  2. unconvincing or specious presentation

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of puppetry

First recorded in 1520–30; puppet, -ry

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The Awakening at Wynn Las Vegas — There’s dancing, illusions, puppetry and acrobatics on full display in “The Awakening,” a visually striking production at Wynn Las Vegas.

From Salon • Mar. 7, 2026

Diane Paulus directs the production that includes puppetry by Basil Twist.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 9, 2025

The museum recently held an event themed around the Belgian character Tintin, as well as other shadow puppetry shows.

From Barron's • Nov. 3, 2025

Azizi has also taken a puppetry class and participated in the Junior Theater Festival.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 27, 2025

He was too studied a believer in the puppetry of men and women to make them more than ridiculous.

From The Art of Letters by Lynd, Robert

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.