cat's-paw

Definition of cat's-pawnext
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
  • Like, that is his reality and everyone else is just kind of a small pawn in it.
    K.J. Yossman, Variety, 19 June 2026
  • Gulf governments, meanwhile, have dabbled abroad as well, while trying to address grievances among their own Shia populations to prevent them from becoming pawns of Tehran.
    Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 15 June 2026
Noun
  • The water conservation district arguably lacks the tools needed to live up to the conservation part of its name assigned by state legislators.
    Allen Best, Denver Post, 14 June 2026
  • Pilots are highly trained to problem solve, and this tiny tool is a go-to travel hack for some of the most frequent flyers.
    Kristy Alpert, Travel + Leisure, 14 June 2026
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 21 Jun. 2026.

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