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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lay figures

Noun

These tools can support both dynamic and personalized pricing.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
Those tools include apps that allow individuals to receive cash in between paychecks and are costing them hundreds of dollars each year in fees, according to a recent report.

— Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of tools

Noun

Youth used as pawns, BJP says The cockroach movement has emerged as one of the biggest political challenges faced by Modi and his BJP in his 12 years in power.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026
Career public servants are people, not pawns, and no one who has devoted their life to serving the American public should have their good name destroyed for partisan, political gain.

— Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of pawns

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.

Browse Nearby Words

lay figure

lay figures

lay hold of

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Lay figures.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lay%20figures. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of lay figures

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

vocation

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes