cat's-paws

noun

plural of cat's-paw
as in pawns
one that is or can be used to further the purposes of another these changes to the zoning laws have only confirmed for many that the town council has become the cat's-paw of local real estate developers

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cat's-paws
  1. pawns
  2. tools
Noun
  • Melton was a Mountain West All-Academic pick who today is an avid chess player, moving pawns on his phone or going toe-to-toe with Justin Verlander in the middle of the clubhouse.
    — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
  • With no end to the war in sight, inflation on the rise, fuel rationing and continued threats of strikes, the vast majority of the Iranian population appear not to be players, but pawns.
    — Will Barker, TheWeek, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of pawns
Noun
  • Tropical Storm Edouard spaghetti models Illustrations include an array of forecast tools and models, and not all are created equal.
    — Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Cover letters have become one of the most valuable tools to help a candidate stand out.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of tools
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

cat's-paw
cat's-paws
catachreses
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Cite this Entry

“Cat's-paws.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cat%27s-paws. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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