sock puppet
Hand-worn foot toy
A sock puppet is a simple hand puppet made from a sock, with the puppeteer's hand inside creating a mouth.
The term now primarily refers to a fake online identity created to deceive—someone arguing with themselves, praising their own work, or creating the illusion of grassroots support: The politician's "supporters" turned out to be sock puppets run by campaign staff.
Fraudulent imitation
- fraudIntentional criminal trickery
- hoaxDeliberate deception for effect
- impostorOne feigning another's identity
- charlatanFaker claiming false expertise
masquerade · guise · pretense · fakery · subterfuge · forgery · counterfeit · trickery
Deliberate online antagonist
- catfishBarbeled freshwater bottom-feeder
- shillFraudster's fake customer
- astroturfingDisguised sponsored advocacy
- botAutomated software agent
dummy · imposter · decoy · burner · throwaway · sockpuppetry · astroturf · brigading
Created manually, not mechanically
- diySelf-made, abbreviated
- feltCompressed fiber textile
- stitchingJoining with needle, thread
- yarnTwisted strand for crafts
fabric · sewing · stuffing · decoration · children · classroom · washcloth · mismatched
Speaking through apparent others
- marionetteString-controlled theatrical figure
- muppetBritish slang for fool
- theaterVenue for live drama
- performanceCarrying out a task
storytelling · characters · skit · show · comedy · entertainment · playful · imagination
sham
Fraudulent imitation
- fraudIntentional criminal trickery
- hoaxDeliberate deception for effect
- impostorOne feigning another's identity
charlatan · masquerade · guise · pretense · fakery · subterfuge · forgery · counterfeit · trickery · disingenuous
troll
Deliberate online antagonist
- catfishBarbeled freshwater bottom-feeder
- shillFraudster's fake customer
- astroturfingDisguised sponsored advocacy
bot · dummy · imposter · decoy · burner · throwaway · sockpuppetry · astroturf · brigading · upvote
handmade
Created manually, not mechanically
yarn · fabric · sewing · stuffing · decoration · children · classroom · washcloth · mismatched · cotton
ventriloquism
Speaking through apparent others
- marionetteString-controlled theatrical figure
- muppetBritish slang for fool
- theaterVenue for live drama
performance · storytelling · characters · skit · show · comedy · entertainment · playful · imagination · voice
- Puppetsmarionette, ventriloquist dummy, bunraku, Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy
- kids craftsfinger paint, finger painting, crayons, coloring, construction paper
- puppetrymarionette, marionettes, puppeteering, marionette strings, Bunraku
- hidden identitiesanonymous, anonymity, pseudonym, alias, incognito
- homemade toysrag doll, wooden blocks, paper airplane, play dough, playdough
- animated figurescartoon character, cartoon characters, marionette, marionettes, toons
sock puppetreal person
verified account · main account · original poster · blue check · public figure
sock puppetmarionette
String-controlled theatrical figure
hand puppet · ventriloquist dummy · shadow puppet · finger puppet
sock puppetfree thinker
One who reasons independently
whistleblower · maverick · free agent · contrarian · puppet master
sock, puppet, socks, puppets, puppetry, puppeteer, sockless, puppeteers, sock puppets