as in sucker
one who is easily deceived or cheated
an Internet newbie who's the perfect patsy for a cyber scam
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of patsy
The problem is that any Fed governor who agrees with him risks looking like a patsy, according to UBS’s Paul Donovan.
—
Jim Edwards, Fortune, 30 July 2025
News stories about Iran and Netanyahu playing him as a patsy didn’t help.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 23 June 2025
Today’s Wordle Etymology The word patsy apparently comes from the Italian name Patsy, short for Pasquale, which was used in vaudeville productions and early 20th-century slang to refer to a gullible or easily deceived individual.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 3 May 2025
Harry and Kev are anxiously awaiting word from Richie, who was last seen torturing the patsy that was set up to take the fall for Tommy's murder.
—Matt Cabral, EW.com, 20 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for patsy
Jim Edwards, Fortune, 30 July 2025
News stories about Iran and Netanyahu playing him as a patsy didn’t help.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 23 June 2025
Today’s Wordle Etymology The word patsy apparently comes from the Italian name Patsy, short for Pasquale, which was used in vaudeville productions and early 20th-century slang to refer to a gullible or easily deceived individual.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 3 May 2025
Harry and Kev are anxiously awaiting word from Richie, who was last seen torturing the patsy that was set up to take the fall for Tommy's murder.
—Matt Cabral, EW.com, 20 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for patsy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for patsy
Noun
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Why to Prune Viburnums Viburnums seldom need pruning other than to remove damaged, diseased, and dead branches, or sucker shoots that grow straight up from the roots but don’t flower.—
Luke Miller,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Feb. 2026
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Kocher was a grandfather and a sucker for extra hours on the bike trails, Beckley said.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Family members of the shooting victims cried as the sentence was handed down.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
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The victim was taken to Hartford Hospital with injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening, according to state police.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Crashes, luge athletes will tell you, are part of the game, a necessary teaching tool that helps young lugers learn how to navigate sliding on their back down an icy course, sometimes faster than 90 miles per hour.—
Lindsay Schnell,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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The Enquirer's Neighborhood Snapshot project is an interactive, online tool for Cincinnatians to better understand their city and its neighborhoods.—
David Ferrara,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Miller has always taken the American people for brainless, heartless chumps lost in a swamp of nostalgia who’ll believe whatever Trumpworld tells them to.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Jan. 2026
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If the Niners lose, the Rams can grab the No. 5 seed and a date with the NFC South chump.—
Vic Tafur,
New York Times,
1 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Patsy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/patsy. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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