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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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.
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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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Trim all vertical limbs, commonly known as suckers.—
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The multi-hyphenate is a sucker for chunky frames, and the Center Stage style from Peepers fits the bill.—
Noun
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The parents of the victims said the boys met Busfield on the set of the Fox series, The Cleaning Lady, after Busfield joined as a director in season 2, according to the arrest warrant.—
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Orange County has appropriated nearly $500 million to cover possible payouts to victims of the fire, and as of August had paid more than $39 million in settlements so far.—
Noun
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Gardening Tools Garden tools should be cleaned after every use to remove fungi, bacteria, and pests that can be transferred to healthy plants.—
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And keep your in-flight essentials like headphones, sleep mask, e-reader, and other tech tools together in your personal item that stays with you at the seat rather than in the overhead bin.—
Noun
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If the Niners lose, the Rams can grab the No. 5 seed and a date with the NFC South chump.—
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Among Cederquist’s chump-change payoffs, in addition to the candy, were bottled water, a snow blower and a granite mailbox.—
Cite this Entry
“Patsy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/patsy. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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