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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lay figures
  1. tools
  2. pawns
Noun
  • While Wyscout is the industry leader for video scouting tools in football, Eyeball has, since forming in 2020, established itself as the youth football equivalent across the globe.
    — Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • In biology, for example, AI has compressed years of scientific labor into tools that can be shared across the world.
    — Belonging Forum, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of tools
Noun
  • Personnel is what’s important, but Scaloni treats his players as people, not as pawns on a chessboard.
    — James Horncastle, New York Times, 14 July 2026
  • Gulf governments, meanwhile, have dabbled abroad as well, while trying to address grievances among their own Shia populations to prevent them from becoming pawns of Tehran.
    — Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 15 June 2026
Definition of pawns
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

lay figure
lay figures
lay hold of
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Cite this Entry

“Lay figures.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lay%20figures. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

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