as in tool
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 figure
Noun
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Gardening Tools Garden tools should be cleaned after every use to remove fungi, bacteria, and pests that can be transferred to healthy plants.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
9 Jan. 2026 -
And keep your in-flight essentials like headphones, sleep mask, e-reader, and other tech tools together in your personal item that stays with you at the seat rather than in the overhead bin.—
Alesandra Dubin,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Under that proposal, liquor stores, vape shops, pawn shops and payday lenders would have to be 1,000 feet from an existing business of the same kind, either in a direct line or through an intersection.—
Emily Holshouser,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 Jan. 2026
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At least 200 of those phones were allegedly sold at a pawn shop.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
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“Lay figure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lay%20figure. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
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