cat's-paws

Definition of cat's-pawsnext
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
  • Making the lives of Idahoans affordable, fixing healthcare, helping farmers produce affordable food and still make a living, saving our public lands and national forest for future generations, and making sure vets, servicemen and women and seniors are not used as pawns in political games.
    Kevin Fixler May 3, Idaho Statesman, 3 May 2026
  • Most people don’t think children should be pawns in any politician’s culture war.
    Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Police found his backpack with various tools.
    Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 13 May 2026
  • The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists.
    Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 13 May 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 15 May. 2026.

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