lay figure

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
  • Jobs emerged in an era when the cost of coordination was high and the tools for distributing tasks were limited.
    John Winsor, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
  • There’s no one tool that’s gonna work for the duration.
    Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2025
Noun
  • What follows across ten episodes are assassination attempts, uneasy alliances, and deft political manoeuvring as the regents use Blackthorne like a pawn.
    Griff Griffin, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 May 2025
  • At that point, the Kremlin can use Iran as a pawn to make deals with other powers.
    Melik Kaylan, Forbes.com, 5 May 2025
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.

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“Lay figure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lay%20figure. Accessed 27 May. 2025.

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