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

Without the proper tools on site, animal services had to take it back to the shelter and flood the helmet to flush the snake out.

— Devon Henderson, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026
That distinction matters because many cybersecurity tools observe devices externally.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of tools

Noun

With no end to the war in sight, inflation on the rise, fuel rationing and continued threats of strikes, the vast majority of the Iranian population appear not to be players, but pawns.

— Will Barker, TheWeek, 14 Aug. 2026
Personnel is what’s important, but Scaloni treats his players as people, not as pawns on a chessboard.

— James Horncastle, New York Times, 14 July 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 16 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of lay figures

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

zeugma

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes