pawn 1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈpȯn How to pronounce pawn (audio)
Definition of pawnnext
as in tool
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

pawn

2 of 3

noun (2)

as in pledge
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

pawn

3 of 3

verb

as in to deposit
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 pawn
Noun
As Melinda points out later, Flora is a pawn of Carla’s and Morgan’s in every respect. — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026 The development comes after Klitschko, a former boxer, filed a supplement this week to his September guardianship petition, claiming a non-family member had sold some of Panettiere's possessions, including jewelry, to a pawn shop. — ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026
Verb
There were 46 items in the safe, some of which Kisakye allegedly pawned and sold to feed a substantial gambling habit. — Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 3 June 2026 If a helmet is too outdated for your family to use, don't pawn it off on someone else. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 26 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pawn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pawn
  1. tool
  2. pledge
  3. deposit
  4. minion
  5. guarantee
  6. hock
  7. victim
  8. security
Noun
  • Unions can also be powerful tools for combating racial pay discrimination; the new report shows tripling union membership would narrow the racial wage gap by more than a third.
    — Liz Shuler, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Together, the tools could help accelerate the development of more resilient electric motor systems while reducing the risks associated with critical material shortages, volatile supply chains and rapidly changing global markets.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of tool
Noun
  • Cairo’s pledge also signals closer alignment with Riyadh, a major financial backer that has provided billions in aid and investment.
    — Lauren Morganbesser, semafor.com, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Audit reports, supplier codes of conduct and corporate sustainability pledges have made up the bulk of brands’ efforts to push a more ecological and socially aware agenda, but times have changed.
    — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of pledge
Verb
  • For example, deposit $100, the sportsbook matches $100 in bonus funds.
    — OutKick, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • According to Citizens, qualifying deposits include recurring income electronically deposited through paychecks, Social Security payments, pensions and other regular income.
    — Dan Avery, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of deposit
Noun
  • There are references to demons, being burned alive, and the duende king explicitly commands his minions to kill Jo and Raissa.
    — Parents, Parents, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Musashi becomes part of a crew that fights the Genma and Yoshitsune’s minions.
    — Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of minion
Noun
  • That figure reflects performance on OpenAI’s test suite, not a guarantee of error-free migrations.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2026
  • But, even for them, there are no guarantees their fitness will last a lifetime.
    — Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of guarantee
Verb
  • So too are editor Pauline Gaillard’s sharp cuts, which are often timed exactly to coincide with the moment that someone lost in faraway thought finishes swirling their mouthful of Pinot Noir and hocks it unceremoniously into a nearby receptacle.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The page gave a deep snort, hocking a chartreuse wad against the root of the nightingale’s birch.
    — Hazlitt, Hazlitt, 19 Nov. 2025
Definition of hock
Noun
  • The Baton Rouge Police Department identified the victims as 21-year-old Leah Fonte and 21-year-old Shane Hirstius, who were engaged.
    — Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) has begun notifying victims impacted by a recent data breach of driver’s license and motor vehicle data, but not everyone whose information was stolen will receive an alert.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of victim
Noun
  • In January, the FBI raided a Post reporter’s home, as part of an investigation into a government contractor accused of mishandling sensitive national security information.
    — Chad de Guzman, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Key members of the party have put forward energy security plans that include a role for oil and gas.
    — Maydeen Merino, The Washington Examiner, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of security

Browse Nearby Words

pawky
pawn
pawned
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pawn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pawn. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of jilt

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All