as in tool
one that is or can be used to further the purposes of another
the novel's characters are not fully fleshed humans, but are simply lay figures strutted out to serve as mouthpieces for conflicting points of view
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lay figure
Noun
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On Tuesday, tech startup Altruist announced a new tax planning feature for Hazel, the company’s AI tool.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026 -
According to a report from Axios, Disney sent a cease-and-desist letter Friday to ByteDance, accusing the company of distributing and reproducing its intellectual property through the new AI tool without permission.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
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During that period, NYC received 220,000 migrants — because the Republican governor of Texas wanted to cruelly use them as political pawns by sending them here.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
16 Feb. 2026
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Isabella goes on to fill the role of used and abused pawn in Heathcliff's quest for vengeance against the Earnshaw and Linton families before ultimately fleeing the Yorkshire countryside and dying young.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
13 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Lay figure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lay%20figure. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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