noun
marionette
ma-ree-uh-NEHT
noun
1
A puppet, usually wooden, moved by strings pulled from above.
"The puppeteer made the marionette dance across the tiny stage."
"Each marionette had up to a dozen strings controlling its limbs."
verb
1
To control someone as though pulling their strings, treating them like a puppet.
"He accused his manager of trying to marionette every decision the team made."
How to Use Marionette
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA string-operated puppet, or (figuratively) someone being controlled like one.
Common pairings
a wooden marionette
marionette strings
a marionette show
Word Forms
marionetted past tense, marionettes plural, marionettes singular
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The puppeteer made the _____ dance across the tiny stage.
Etymology
From French marionnette, originally a small figure of the Virgin Mary used in religious plays before the word came to mean any string puppet.