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
  • An arrest warrant said Marks sold a woman’s wedding ring with a half-karat diamond at a pawn shop for $300.
    Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 6 May 2026
  • Making the lives of Idahoans affordable, fixing healthcare, helping farmers produce affordable food and still make a living, saving our public lands and national forest for future generations, and making sure vets, servicemen and women and seniors are not used as pawns in political games.
    Kevin Fixler May 3, Idaho Statesman, 3 May 2026
Noun
  • After Anthropic’s success in attracting business users, OpenAI is beefing up its Codex coding agent and other work tools.
    John Cassidy, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
  • State leaders should look beyond land use and taxation as tools for lowering prices.
    Maxwell Harden, Sun Sentinel, 3 May 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 10 May. 2026.

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