PAWNS Synonyms: 43 Similar and Opposite Words

pawns 1 of 3

noun (1)

plural of pawn

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

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pawns

2 of 3

noun (2)

plural of pawn

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

pawns

3 of 3

verb

present tense third-person singular of pawn

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

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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

Noun

Youth used as pawns, BJP says The cockroach movement has emerged as one of the biggest political challenges faced by Modi and his BJP in his 12 years in power. — CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026 Career public servants are people, not pawns, and no one who has devoted their life to serving the American public should have their good name destroyed for partisan, political gain. — Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 13 Oct. 2026 Ownership is not in bankruptcy, is contesting the foreclosure in court, has offered the lender any and every constructive solution, but will not allow these tenants to be further used as pawns. — Lisa Rozner, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026 Melton was a Mountain West All-Academic pick who today is an avid chess player, moving pawns on his phone or going toe-to-toe with Justin Verlander in the middle of the clubhouse. — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026 With no end to the war in sight, inflation on the rise, fuel rationing and continued threats of strikes, the vast majority of the Iranian population appear not to be players, but pawns. — Will Barker, TheWeek, 14 Aug. 2026 Gulf governments, meanwhile, have dabbled abroad as well, while trying to address grievances among their own Shia populations to prevent them from becoming pawns of Tehran. — Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 15 June 2026 The organization is treating these athletes as political pawns instead of as young people with their own families, goals, futures and careers to think about. — Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 19 May 2026 Making the lives of Idahoans affordable, fixing healthcare, helping farmers produce affordable food and still make a living, saving our public lands and national forest for future generations, and making sure vets, servicemen and women and seniors are not used as pawns in political games. — Kevin Fixler may 3, Idaho Statesman, 3 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pawns

Noun

In 2005, Chris and Robin Sorensen created the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation, with a mission of providing first-responders with life-saving equipment, tools and education.

— Sadie Chafe, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
Mia Lerner, a 17-year-old high school senior in California and a youth body image activist, knows the toll these digital tools can take.

— Chloe Veltman, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of tools

Noun

Companies are also making pledges to reduce their impact on the environment and offering assurances that data centers will boost local property values — all while maintaining AI is a positive force for the American economy, despite its skeptics.

— Marc Levy, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
The map does not affect local revenue pledges, the release says.

— Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of pledges

Verb

So my guess/belief/thought is that the executive trio is hoping for the best this year, but is unwilling to do anything that mortgages future seasons.

— Josh Kendall, New York Times, 9 July 2026
Those are the players in recent memory who’ve commanded the kind of draft capital that reshapes franchises — the sort of seismic move that mortgages a future and, in return, attaches expectations normally reserved for franchise-carrying superstars.

— Kristian Winfield, Hartford Courant, 22 Feb. 2026

Definition of mortgages

Noun

The guarantees apply only to specific properties, inputs, and assumptions described in each proof.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 22 Oct. 2026
Moscow has also noted the prospect of French or British nuclear guarantees extending to European states and nonnuclear European capitals considering the development of nuclear options of their own.

— Dmitry Adamsky, Foreign Affairs, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of guarantees

Verb

How cosmetic tattoos create faux freckles According to Allure’s guide to permanent makeup, an artist deposits pigment into the skin with a needle, placing individual dots across the cheeks and nose.

— Ashley Lynch, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2026
There’s no shortage of hotels to choose from, but guests of the Table Bay have prime access, thanks to an elevator in the lobby that deposits them right by Woolworth’s.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of deposits

Noun

As interest rates increased, the value of those securities declined while deposit pressures increased.

— Erik Clarke, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Anthropic released a 335-page securities filing Monday morning, offering a first-of-its-kind window into how the leading AI company is managing its explosive growth, massive risks and bottom line.

— Jared Perlo, NBC news, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of securities

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“Pawns.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pawns. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of pawns

noun (1)

noun (2)

verb

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