putty in someone's hands
One who is readily manipulated or controlled by another person; a puppet.
Why, Marseny, here, he wan't no more than so much putty in her hands.
putty
/ˈpʌti/
noun 5adj 1verb 1name 1
Collocations
4ADJ.
silly, used
VERB + PUTTY
crack, got
PUTTY + NOUN
birthday
PREP.
with
Definitions
noun
1
A form of cement, made from linseed oil and whiting, used to fixate panes of glass.
2
Any of a range of similar substances.
3
Any of a range of similar substances.
4
A golf ball made of composition and not gutta-percha.
adj
1
Of, pertaining to, or resembling putty.
verb
1
To fix or fill using putty.
Thesaurus
Synonyms
Antonyms
Idioms & Phrases
Example Bank
501
“He went to’ds de back, ma’am.” The negro opened the door and slid his legs, clad in army O.D. and a pair of linoleum putties, to the ground. “‘I’ll go git ’im.”’
Wiktionary02
He stopped up the crack with putty.
Tatoeba · #29488203
Tom got some Silly Putty for his birthday.
Tatoeba · #1077565504
When the microwave door handle snapped off, I just used epoxy putty to stick it back in place, rather than paying for a proper repair.
Tatoeba · #1082618705
He filled the crack with putty.
Tatoeba · #11275650Usage Notes
i Register
In some senses, putty is marked as colloquial. Watch for register when choosing this word.
Your note
not saved0 chars