patsy

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

As Warren Buffett wrote, “If you’ve been playing poker for half an hour and you still don’t know who the patsy is, you’re the patsy.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026

Again, the easiest marks are the ones who don't realize they're being set up as a patsy.

From Salon • Oct. 26, 2023

Many journalists have anointed him both—a destroyer of worlds but also a deal-maker, a patsy but also a conquering hero.

From Slate • Jun. 3, 2023

He is Gov. Alfred E. Smith of New York, a populist Democrat who is Moses’ patron and also, one begins to suspect, his patsy.

From New York Times • Oct. 26, 2022

You couldn't trust a patsy like that, especially in the marketplace, so, armed with a thick stack of coupons, our father did all the shopping himself.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris