cat's-paw

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
  • As something of a pawn in the game of tactical chess between Ferreira and Paiva, the broad conclusion was that the experiment did not quite work out for the teenager.
    Mark Carey, New York Times, 28 June 2025
  • Investigators reported finding a receipt matching those items sold to a pawn shop, where Tate provided his Tennessee driver’s license to conduct the transaction, according to the report.
    Olivia Lloyd, Charlotte Observer, 18 June 2025
Noun
  • And Marcus Wheatland, known as the doctor of the swells, was a medical practitioner and a pioneer of X-rays as a diagnostic tool.
    Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 8 July 2025
  • For many, this trend is both logical and necessary: the skill sets, tools and time required to defend against modern threats are out of reach for many lean internal teams.
    Nolan Garrett, Forbes.com, 7 July 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-paw.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cat%27s-paw. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.

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