Internet
sockpuppet
What does sockpuppet mean?
An alt account someone runs to pretend they're a different person — usually to upvote their own posts, agree with themselves in the comments, or dogpile someone they're already fighting with on their main. The whole point is the deception; if you're open about the alt, it's not a sockpuppet.
"Mods banned three of his sockpuppets in one night, all defending the same crypto pitch."
Origin
Pre-Reddit term — borrowed from the literal hand puppet — that was already common on Usenet and forums in the 1990s. Reddit and Wikipedia kept it alive as the standard label for fake-identity alts.
Frequently asked questions
Is a sockpuppet the same as an alt account?
Not quite. All sockpuppets are alts, but not all alts are sockpuppets. An alt only becomes a sockpuppet when it's being used to deceive — faking support, dodging bans, or pretending to be a stranger.
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Vocabulary Flow — saved to your collection.
