as in tools
one that is or can be used to further the purposes of another
though he liked to play up his influence with city hall, he was really just another pawn of the political bosses
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in pledges
something given or held to assure that the giver will keep a promise
offered her license as a pawn that she would bring back the rental canoe
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in mortgages
to leave as a guarantee of repayment of a loan
he pawned his antique watch in order to pay off his gambling debt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of pawns
Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 14 Jan. 2026
Because these prices haven't come in, because the Chinese actually used our soybean farmers as pawns in the trade negotiations.
—CBS News, 7 Dec. 2025
The National Guard ⬆ For much of the past year, National Guard units have been pawns on a chessboard, taunted by protesters.
—Newsweek Editors, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2025
But this isn’t the Queen’s Gambit, and at 4 and 6, Bluey and Bingo aren’t interested in prawns (pawns), castle heads (rooks), or pom pom elves (bishops).
—Hannah Silverman, Parents, 15 Nov. 2025
These children are cannon fodder, dispensable pawns in someone else’s war.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2025
Where the film succeeds is in its depiction of John and Greta as pawns of larger societal forces.
—Sarah Weinman, Rolling Stone, 9 Nov. 2025
The others are just underwritten pawns in a contrived mystery.
—Judy Berman, Time, 6 Nov. 2025
There’s a common refrain that the troops are being used as pawns.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 30 Oct. 2025
Noun
The Arabs deliberately placed the Arab refugees and their descendants in refugee camps as pawns in the propaganda war against Israel.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for pawns
deposits
Verb
-
Application is seamless with its sponge-tip applicator that deposits its clean serum with ease.—
-
In the clip shot in a forest, the robot identifies litter, picks it up, and deposits it into a trash bin without any prior training—marking another step forward in real-world robotic autonomy.—
Cite this Entry
“Pawns.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pawns. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
