as in tools
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 figures
Noun
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An organization that tests AI models called Model Evaluation and Threat Research found in July that developers take 19% longer to work on their code when using AI, although that research was based on tools from early 2025.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026 -
Another worry is that if AI succeeds in creating tools to do complicated tasks more cheaply, companies in industries as far flung as software and legal services and trucking logistics could see their businesses get undercut.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
19 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
-
Government shutdowns are avoidable and harmful to families, workers, the economy and federal workers shouldn’t be pawns.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Feb. 2026
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“Lay figures.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lay%20figures. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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