cat's-paws

Definition of cat's-pawsnext
plural of cat's-paw
as in pawns
one that is or can be used to further the purposes of another these changes to the zoning laws have only confirmed for many that the town council has become the cat's-paw of local real estate developers

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cat's-paws
Noun
  • Most people don’t think children should be pawns in any politician’s culture war.
    Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2026
  • Most people don’t think children should be pawns in any politician’s culture war.
    Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 28 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Our editors are big fans of Dyson’s hair tools—and especially so for travel days.
    Charley Ward, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Apr. 2026
  • Meanwhile, the company said, more than 8 million advertisers now use at least one of its generative AI creative tools, with particularly strong adoption among small and midsize advertisers.
    Todd Spangler, Variety, 29 Apr. 2026
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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Cite this Entry

“Cat's-paws.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cat%27s-paws. Accessed 2 May. 2026.

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