The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 letter word TOON
T
O
O
N
More clues leading to the result TOON
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "a puppet?" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case a puppet? = toon.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does TOON mean?
TOON noun- A cartoon, especially an animated television show.
- A player's avatar or visible character in a massively multiplayer online role-playing game.
- A southeast Asian and Australian tree (Toona ciliata or Toona australis) of the mahogany family with fragrant dark red wood and flowers that yield a dye.
- The wood of this tree.
- A town.
- A melody.
- A song, or short musical composition.
- The act of tuning or maintenance.
- The state or condition of being correctly tuned.
- Temper; frame of mind.
- A sound; a note; a tone.
- Order; harmony; concord.