cat's-paws

noun

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
  1. pawns
  2. tools
Noun
  • Youth used as pawns, BJP says The cockroach movement has emerged as one of the biggest political challenges faced by Modi and his BJP in his 12 years in power.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Career public servants are people, not pawns, and no one who has devoted their life to serving the American public should have their good name destroyed for partisan, political gain.
    — Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of pawns
Noun
  • New tools became available in the early 2020s that weren't available at the time of the original shooting.
    — CBS Minnesota, CBS News, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Most students likely already have access to AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini.
    — Christian M. Jacobs, Sun Sentinel, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of tools
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-paw
cat's-paws
catachreses
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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 11 Nov. 2026.

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