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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From building a beauty empire to navigating purpose through pain, Monique shares the lessons, leaps of faith, and leadership tools that have shaped her journey.—
Essence,
Essence,
13 Aug. 2025 -
Secondly, there are many types of tools, including ad fraud detection, bot detection and ad verification solutions.—
Roman Vrublivskyi,
Forbes.com,
12 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Ellen is a smart, strategic thinker frustrated by her brothers’ desire to use her as a pawn in clan politics.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
9 Aug. 2025
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Unfortunately, all these mind games and chess moves mean pawns are caught in the middle.—
Rafael Motamayor,
Vulture,
9 Aug. 2025
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“Lay figure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lay%20figure. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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