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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Mock suggests using gentle cleaning tools to avoid scratching the flooring.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
7 Sep. 2025 -
Amazon’s sale section is packed with stellar deals this month — including a few rarely-on-sale beauty tools that should be on your radar.—
Isabel Garcia,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Ultimately, Dalton and her team uncover that General Livingstone orchestrated the hostage and coup to increase military spending, using Captain Shagan and his former unit as pawns.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
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As both Beijing’s experience dealing with Pyongyang and, to a lesser extent, Washington’s experience with Taipei demonstrate, these smaller partners are not mere pawns to be traded away.—
SHUXIAN LUO,
Foreign Affairs,
21 Aug. 2025
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“Lay figures.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lay%20figures. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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