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
Sid spent much of the 1950s touring his marionettes in Europe and even appeared with Judy Garland as her opening act during the latter part of the decade.
—
Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 13 Apr. 2026
Soon after, making marionettes entered the picture.
—Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026
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
Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 13 Apr. 2026
Soon after, making marionettes entered the picture.
—Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for marionettes
Noun
-
The selection opens with Taiwanese work Welcome to the Dollhouse about YouTuber Princess Maria who sets out to uncover the secrets of Madame Dolly, a sorceress who can turn lifeless dolls into human beings.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
28 Apr. 2026
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Inside, Sophie loves to play with her baby dolls and stuffed animals.—
Pioneer Press,
Twin Cities,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
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
-
Anime figurines on the other hand, had a cheaper and shorter price range.—
Emma Hall,
Sacbee.com,
25 Apr. 2026
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What about the ten years during which Giacometti sculpted human heads from live study, and carved innumerable miniscule figurines?—
Ara H. Merjian,
ARTnews.com,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The meeting between the two dignitaries will won’t include a livestreamed news conference like those the president has hosted with other international figures.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The large monetary figures Ingoglia unveiled during each news conference came from analyses conducted by the state’s Department of Governmental Efficiency team, or DOGE, which had requested budget information from and visited many municipalities across the state.—
Abigail Hasebroock,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Marionettes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/marionettes. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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