puppet
A small model of a person or animal that someone moves with their hand, strings, or rods, often in a show or as a toy.
A small model of a person or animal that is moved by someone’s hand, strings, rods, or similar devices, especially in a performance or as a toy.
A person or group that seems to make decisions but is really controlled by another person or group.
A person or organization that appears to have power but is actually controlled by someone else.
- Base: puppet
- Plural: puppets
like a puppet on a string
1completely controlled by someone
Used to say that someone is fully controlled by another person and does whatever that person wants.
- He does everything she tells him, like a puppet on a string.
- The manager follows head office orders like a puppet on a string.
puppet government
1government controlled by another power
A government that looks independent but is really controlled by another country or group.
- After the invasion, a puppet government was quickly put in place.
- The rebels refused to recognize what they called a puppet government in the capital.
puppet master
1person secretly controlling others
A person who secretly controls what other people do, especially leaders or important people.
- Many believed the finance minister was the real puppet master behind the reforms.
- In the movie, the quiet adviser turns out to be the puppet master controlling the crime boss.
puppet regime
1ruling group controlled by others
A ruling group that is controlled by another country or powerful group, not by its own people.
- The opposition denounced the new leaders as a foreign-backed puppet regime.
- History books often describe the short-lived puppet regime as deeply unpopular.
puppet show
1performance using puppets as actors
A small play or performance where the characters are puppets instead of real people.
- We took the kids to a puppet show at the library.
- The festival will feature music, dancing, and a traditional puppet show.
puppet state
1country controlled by another country
A country that has its own name and government, but that government is really controlled by another country.
- The territory functioned as a puppet state under the empire’s control.
- Critics argue that without free elections the country is effectively a puppet state.
sock puppet account
1fake online account used to deceive
An online account that someone uses to pretend to be another real person, usually to trick people or secretly support their own ideas.
- The review site removed hundreds of sock puppet accounts that were promoting one company.
- He admitted running a sock puppet account to argue with critics on social media.
sock puppet
1fake online identity controlled by someone
A fake name or account that a person uses, especially on the internet, to pretend to be someone else and secretly support themselves.
- The moderator discovered several sock puppet accounts praising the same company.
- He was banned for using a sock puppet to argue with himself on the forum.
- Politicians have been caught using sock puppets to spread positive comments.
sock puppet
2false or fake identity, often online
A fake person, often on the internet, that someone creates to hide who they really are or to trick people.
- The blogger was caught using a sock puppet to post positive comments about his own work.
- The forum banned several sock puppet accounts linked to the same user.