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
  • This undated photo provided by the Alabama Department of Corrections on Thursday, June 11, 2026, shows Jeffery Lee, who was sentenced to death for killing two people during a 1998 robbery at a pawn shop.
    CBS News, CBS News, 12 June 2026
  • Authorities raided the pawn shop on Monday.
    Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 11 June 2026
Noun
  • The awards and their accompanying speeches are the best promotional tools potential winners have in their arsenal, especially in an era when Broadway economics have gotten crazier by the year.
    Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 8 June 2026
  • The tool, which uses artificial intelligence, could be deployed at airports to bolster wildlife enforcement efforts, the researchers say.
    Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 7 June 2026
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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 13 Jun. 2026.

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