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
  • Gulf governments, meanwhile, have dabbled abroad as well, while trying to address grievances among their own Shia populations to prevent them from becoming pawns of Tehran.
    Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 15 June 2026
  • The organization is treating these athletes as political pawns instead of as young people with their own families, goals, futures and careers to think about.
    Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 May 2026
Noun
  • Mendoza said that the search had been exceedingly difficult without the right tools.
    Isa Soares, CNN Money, 1 July 2026
  • The Drug Enforcement Administration does have those tools, and sometimes works with Brennan's office to investigate cases.
    Tim McNicholas, CBS News, 1 July 2026
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 3 Jul. 2026.

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