cat's-paws

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
Noun
  • The others are just underwritten pawns in a contrived mystery.
    Judy Berman, Time, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Stop using veterans as pawns & reopen the government.
    Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • New data science tools are rapidly improving the speed and accuracy of detecting slight changes.
    Matthew W. Kreuter, CNN Money, 8 Nov. 2025
  • Despite over a century of investigation, there is still no cure, but advances in diagnostic tools, treatments and preventive strategies continue to offer hope for slowing the disease and improving quality of life for patients and caregivers.
    The San Diego Union Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Nov. 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-paws.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cat%27s-paws. Accessed 22 Nov. 2025.

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