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
Relevance
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cat's-paws
Noun
-
Privatized airports avoided long shutdown waits Privatizing airport security, some in the business argue, makes airport workers and travelers less vulnerable to becoming pawns in congressional fights over policy issues.—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
4 Apr. 2026 -
His desire to cross pawns again.—
Ashlee Conour,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
This article was created by content specialists using various tools, including AI.—
Lauren Schuster,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The supplies include rope/cord, saw/cutting tools, police scanner, hair nets, medical gloves and more.—
April 8,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 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.
Cite this Entry
“Cat's-paws.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cat%27s-paws. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
