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

Organizations have a narrow window to turn these same tools toward defense before that gap closes.

— Ashish Bhatia, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026
That’s in line with modern baseball trends, with MLB front offices employing more sophisticated evaluation tools to monitor their ascending arms.

— Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of tools

Noun

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
With no end to the war in sight, inflation on the rise, fuel rationing and continued threats of strikes, the vast majority of the Iranian population appear not to be players, but pawns.

— Will Barker, TheWeek, 14 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 22 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of lay figures

noun

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