cat's-paw

noun
UK: /ˈkæts pɔː/
US: /ˈkæts pɔː/

  1. A person used by someone else to do unpleasant or dangerous things.

    1. He used his friend as a cat's-paw to spread the rumor.
    2. She realized she was just a cat's-paw in their complicated scheme, bearing all the risks.

Synonyms

tool pawn dupe instrument
cat's-paw transitive-verb

  1. To use someone as a tool to accomplish a task, often something unpleasant or risky, for one's own benefit.

    1. He cat's-pawed his little brother to get cookies.
    2. The politician was accused of cat's-pawing the media to damage his opponent's reputation.

Frequently Asked Questions

The phonetic transcription of "cat's-paw" is /ˈkæts pɔː/ in British English and /ˈkæts pɔː/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "cat's-paw": tool, pawn, dupe, instrument.

Example usage of "cat's-paw": "He used his friend as a cat's-paw to spread the rumor.". More examples on the page.