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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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

Noun

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 Most people don’t think children should be pawns in any politician’s culture war. — Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2026 The costume is meant to reflect the pawns in a game of chess. — Olivia Wakim, AJC.com, 23 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pawns

Noun

These tools can support both dynamic and personalized pricing.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
Those tools include apps that allow individuals to receive cash in between paychecks and are costing them hundreds of dollars each year in fees, according to a recent report.

— Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of tools

Noun

Before launch, readers can also reserve a VIP spot with a fully refundable US$30 deposit, which adds US$200 cashback per machine and one-hour early access to the Super Early Bird pledges.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 14 Oct. 2026
The messaging also seemed coordinated, with official statements followed by a flood of pledges of allegiance on social media.

— Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 10 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

Good luck enforcing Potemkin guarantees from hyperscalers or arguing that local protests excuse a construction delay that blew a hole in the financing.

— Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 15 Oct. 2026
For Hoffman, the evening’s results were encouraging but not necessarily conclusive, and the extensive use of guarantees should be taken with a grain of salt.

— Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of guarantees

Verb

LendingPoint approves loans for as little as $1,000, and typically deposits funds as soon as the next business day after signing.

— Dan Avery, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2026
The institution deposits the money and uses it to help pay for scholarships, travel, facilities, salaries and sports that might produce little revenue of their own.

— Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of deposits

Noun

Tippett’s team animated physical puppets, while ILM handled compositing and digital fire, smoke and explosions.

— Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
The evening, co-hosted by Vanity Fair, marked a continuation in the film’s already lengthy journey, with a suitably ambitious exhibition pulling back the curtain on costumes, puppets, props and diminutive sets.

— Bridget Arsenault, Vanity Fair, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of puppets

Noun

The stock market crashed in 1929, begetting federal securities regulations including the creation of the Securities and Exchange Commission — in 1934.

— Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
The bank said the better-than-expected performance was driven by slightly higher cash and securities balances, slightly lower funding costs, and additional efficiency in the deployment of its markets balance sheet.

— Jeff Marks, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of securities

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“Pawns.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pawns. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of pawns

noun (1)

noun (2)

verb

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