stool pigeons

noun

plural of stool pigeon
as in informants
a person who provides information about another's wrongdoing the FBI finally got a break when one of the mob boss's top henchmen turned stool pigeon

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for stool pigeons
  1. informants
  2. informers
  3. canaries
  4. rats
Noun
  • The task force is reportedly staffing up with officers who specialize in recruiting informants, intelligence analysis, cyber operations and covert influence campaigns.
    — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 6 Aug. 2026
  • In the morning, Nora stops by with information about confidential informants in the Candlelight Lounge case.
    — Erin Qualey, Vulture, 27 July 2026
Definition of informants
Noun
  • One of State Security’s main goals, as well as a central source of its strength, is turning civilians into informers.
    — Abraham Jiménez Enoa, The Dial, 19 May 2026
  • And so every regime invests in having student informers.
    — Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2026
Definition of informers
Noun
  • The Edge and Adam Clayton both release canaries into the air in slow motion.
    — Al Shipley, SPIN, 26 June 2026
  • These living materials could also serve as canaries in the coal mine for water safety, glowing brighter or dimming in the presence of specific toxins.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 7 May 2026
Definition of canaries
Noun
  • Evidence of this mechanism stretches as far back as 1989, when French metabolic researcher Jean Girard and his colleagues published a paper describing how metformin increased the amount of glucose rats absorbed in their intestines.
    — Viviane Callier, Scientific American, 13 Aug. 2026
  • But criticism of the outdoor dining arrangements built up, with detractors saying the spots were unsightly, dirty, and harboring rats.
    — Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of rats
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

stool pigeon
stool pigeons
stools
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Cite this Entry

“Stool pigeons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stool%20pigeons. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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