lay figures

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

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lay figures
Noun
  • In 2005, Chris and Robin Sorensen created the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation, with a mission of providing first-responders with life-saving equipment, tools and education.
    — Sadie Chafe, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Mia Lerner, a 17-year-old high school senior in California and a youth body image activist, knows the toll these digital tools can take.
    — Chloe Veltman, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026
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
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“Lay figures.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lay%20figures. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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