as in dolls
a puppet that is moved by pulling strings or wires that are attached to its body
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Recent Examples of marionettes
Natalie Haynes fleshes out the backstories of her cast—Jason, a handsome ship captain on a quest for the Golden Fleece, the scheming sorceress Medea, and Olympian deities toying with mortals like marionettes—and imbues them all with contemporary vibes.
—
Hamilton Cain, Time, 3 Mar. 2026
There are marionettes, masks, shadow puppets and table top puppets.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 24 Feb. 2026
This snowy themed show, which features about 100 marionettes, includes sledding slopes, caroling penguins and Santa’s workshop.
—Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 26 Nov. 2025
Hamilton Cain, Time, 3 Mar. 2026
There are marionettes, masks, shadow puppets and table top puppets.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 24 Feb. 2026
This snowy themed show, which features about 100 marionettes, includes sledding slopes, caroling penguins and Santa’s workshop.
—Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 26 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for marionettes
Noun
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The merch table was selling posters from the 2024 Barbie concert tour for $20, and the cheapest Barbie dolls being sold for $25 were gone after just a few hours.—
Rebecca Cohen,
NBC news,
30 Mar. 2026
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This mystery dumpling craze parallels that of plushy Labubu dolls, which became a worldwide sensation last year after Lisa, a performer in K-pop group Blackpink, was spotted sporting the toy.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The 750-ton building was placed onto 20 dollies and moved onto city property where it was ultimately restored and opened as a museum and events venue.—
Camila Gomez,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Mar. 2026
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Each band’s gear had been set up on dollies and risers, secured under forty-foot-long tents.—
Alex Abramovich,
New Yorker,
22 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Neighborhood residents will surely gravitate to the lush art deco-style lobby, suffused with thousands of plants and whimsical figurines.—
Travis Levius,
Travel + Leisure,
1 Apr. 2026
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The figurines have movable joints and serve as a blank canvas to be pierced, painted, posed or sculpted into whatever comes to mind for the artist, or comes in the form of an artist commission.—
Lisa Deaderick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The ceiling is decorated with representations of Italian coins from the Etruscans to the early 20th century, the floor consists of colorful geometric mosaics, and gazing down on the scene are busts of various iconic Italian figures, from Marco Polo to Alessandro Volta.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
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The decision drew immediate fire from El-Sayed's primary opponents and national Democratic figures, forcing a rare public reckoning over how far the party should go to recapture young men who abandoned it in record numbers in 2024.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Marionettes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/marionettes. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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