cat's-paw

as in pawn
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-paw
Noun
  • Rick McConnell said that Jerry McConnell asked the employee at the pawn shop for directions to the Prairie Village shopping center.
    Bella Waters, Kansas City Star, 4 June 2025
  • In a subplot, Paul Baker and Samir visit a pawn shop to try to sell a gun Samir doesn’t want in the house, but Paul Baker struggles to talk to the owner, who seems progressive in his actions and beliefs, and completely retrograde in his language.
    Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 27 May 2025
Noun
  • Other tools, such as my own Swan Dive method can help as well.
    Bryce Hoffman, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025
  • That in itself is a valuable tool for a defenseman: being able to skate the puck into the neutral zone and then make a clean first pass to get the offensive process started.
    Max Bultman, New York Times, 1 June 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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Cite this Entry

“Cat's-paw.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cat%27s-paw. Accessed 11 Jun. 2025.

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