pawn

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.

“I cringed at being a sacrificial pawn in their game of relationship chess,” Davis writes.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 13, 2026

They may turn to pawn transactions and other informal borrowing arrangements.

From Barron's • Jan. 13, 2026

Blaming China for taking the deal we offered is like blaming the pawn shop for buying your watch.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 19, 2025

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also insisted Europe was "not a pawn, but a sovereign actor, with its own interests and values."

From BBC • Nov. 26, 2025

“I do. I used to. But I’ve been away at boarding school, and then university, and then here…Why bishop takes knight? I can just capture back, improve my pawn structure.”

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin