Thesaurus results for LAY FIGURES

lay figures

noun

plural of lay figure

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

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Noun

Working in pairs, the contestants have only basic tools and limited food.

— Leo Barraclough, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026
Long’s textbook Marxism is just one of the tools O’Reilly uses to underline O’Neill’s description of The Hairy Ape as a comedy.

— Sara Holdren, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of tools

Noun

Ownership is not in bankruptcy, is contesting the foreclosure in court, has offered the lender any and every constructive solution, but will not allow these tenants to be further used as pawns.

— Lisa Rozner, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026
Melton was a Mountain West All-Academic pick who today is an avid chess player, moving pawns on his phone or going toe-to-toe with Justin Verlander in the middle of the clubhouse.

— Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of pawns

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lay figure

lay figures

lay hold of

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“Lay figures.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lay%20figures. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of lay figures

noun

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