cat's-paw

noun

ˈkats-ˌpȯ How to pronounce cat's-paw (audio)
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
  1. pawn
  2. tool
Noun
  • Always sort through things that have been in storage for a while, and also scan through jewelry to look for maker’s marks and precious metal symbols to help identify pieces that are better suited for a pawn shop or estate sale.
    — Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 15 July 2026
  • Personnel is what’s important, but Scaloni treats his players as people, not as pawns on a chessboard.
    — James Horncastle, New York Times, 14 July 2026
Definition of pawn
Noun
  • With Liverpool’s Premier League season opener away to Newcastle United four weeks tomorrow, Iraola doesn’t yet have all the tools required to ensure his reign gets off to a flyer.
    — James Pearce, New York Times, 25 July 2026
  • Traditional surface-to-air missiles, or SAMs, remain among the most powerful tools available for defending airspace.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 25 July 2026
Definition of tool
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.

Browse Nearby Words

cat's meow
cat's-paw
cat's-paws
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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 26 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on cat's-paw

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cat's-paw

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