marionette

noun

mar·​i·​o·​nette ˌmer-ē-ə-ˈnet How to pronounce marionette (audio)
: a small-scale usually wooden figure (as of a person) with jointed limbs that is moved from above by manipulation of the attached strings or wires

Examples of marionette in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
As marionette puppets bring his unfinished book to life, family and friends unveil the real person behind the provocative public persona in this captivating documentary. Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 16 Apr. 2025 There are a few common styles, including the Floppy Puppet (picture someone distractedly operating a marionette) and the Invisible Surfboard (feet planted, knees bent, arms akimbo). Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025 Three of the figures were made of fine clay and had adjustable heads with holes in them that may have been controlled using a string, much like a marionette puppet. Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 6 Mar. 2025 The onus for the celebration is not just a climate of xenophobia in a United States still stymieing progress on the island via century-old legislative marionette wires but also the disconnectedness Bad Bunny experienced after spending chunks of 2024 in Los Angeles. Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 13 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for marionette

Word History

Etymology

French marionnette, from Middle French maryonete, from Marion, diminutive of Marie Mary

First Known Use

circa 1620, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of marionette was circa 1620

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Cite this Entry

“Marionette.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/marionette. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

marionette

noun
mar·​i·​o·​nette ˌmar-ē-ə-ˈnet How to pronounce marionette (audio)
ˌmer-
: a puppet moved by attached strings or wires
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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