cat's-paw

as in pawn
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-paw
Noun
  • Prosecutors introduced pawn-shop receipts and fingerprint evidence linking her to Mallory’s property, according to court documents.
    Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
  • There’s a common refrain that the troops are being used as pawns.
    Dave Smith, Fortune, 30 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The technique is showing because Paul’s learning to use all his tools — the size, the strength, the reach from his arm length, which creates a 7-foot-6 wingspan.
    Omar Kelly October 29, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2025
  • But while Wikipedia users can directly edit a story, Grokipedia offers tools to ask questions and submit a correction.
    NPR, NPR, 29 Oct. 2025
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Cat's-paw.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cat%27s-paw. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.

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