INDEX:
to use something for a purpose
1. to use something for a purpose
2. to use particular methods, knowledge, skills etc
3. to use a service that is available
4. someone who uses something
5. to use a situation in order to gain an advantage
6. used for a particular purpose
7. what something can be used for
8. being used now
9. something that can be used
10. something that can be used in various ways
11. to use something again
12. to use something wrongly
13. words, remarks, ideas etc that have been used too much
14. no longer being used
15. documents, tickets etc that can no longer be used
to use/consume
16. to use an amount of something
17. the amount of something that is used
18. someone that regularly uses amounts of something
19. amounts of something that have not been used
to use a person for your own advantage
20. to use someone for your own advantage
21. someone who is used by someone else
RELATED WORDS
get used to something : ↑ USED TO/ACCUSTOMED TO
◆◆◆
1. to use something for a purpose
▷ use /juːz/ [transitive verb]
▪ Do you mind if I use your phone?
▪ Are we allowed to use a dictionary in the test?
▪ They rebuilt the church using local stone.
use something to do something
▪ Use a calculator to check your answers.
use something for doing something
▪ We use the shed for storing our firewood.
use something as something
▪ We decided to use the second bedroom as a junk room.
▷ with /wɪð, wɪθ/ [preposition]
if you do something with a tool, piece of equipment etc you use a tool, piece of equipment etc to do it :
▪ Beat the egg with a fork.
▪ Do you have anything I can open the bottle with?
▷ make use of /ˌmeɪk ˈjuːs ɒv/ [verb phrase]
to use something you have available for a particular purpose :
▪ To build the shelter, they had to make use of whatever bits of wood or plastic they could find.
make use of to do something
▪ The Romans made use of volcanic ash to produce concrete.
make use of as
▪ Who were the first to make use of pigeons as messengers?
2. to use particular methods, knowledge, skills etc
▷ use /juːz/ [transitive verb]
▪ Researchers often use questionnaires in their work.
▪ I can’t tell you what to do - you must use your own discretion.
use something to do something
▪ The nurse must use her communication skills to make the patient feel at ease.
▪ These new techniques are already being used to produce special effects in films.
use /juːs/ [uncountable noun]
▪ There have been complaints about the use of excessive force by the police.
▷ make use of /ˌmeɪk ˈjuːs ɒv/ [verb phrase]
to use a method, skill, or piece of information that is available to you :
▪ People asked her why she didn’t make use of her musical talent and give singing lessons.
▪ We might as well make good use of his expertise while he’s here.
▷ put something to use /ˌpʊt something tə ˈjuːs/ [verb phrase]
to start to use something, especially knowledge or a skill that has not been used before :
▪ Your knowledge of computers can finally be put to use when the office buys a new system next month.
▪ When governments acquire personal information about people they always try to put it to political use.
put something to good use
▪ I finally feel that I can put all my education to good use in this job.
▷ apply /əˈplaɪ/ [transitive verb]
to use something such as a method, idea, or system in a particular situation, activity, or process :
apply something to something
▪ New technology is being applied to almost every industrial process.
▪ You can’t apply policies designed for a big country like the United States to a small country like Cuba.
apply something to do something
▪ There are several tests you can apply to find out how old a tree is.
▷ exercise /ˈeksəʳsaɪz/ [transitive verb]
to use your authority, influence etc effectively in order to achieve something :
▪ Parents sometimes need to exercise their authority and say ‘no’ to their children.
▪ The Congress must decide whether to exercise its veto or not.
▪ Many people are exercising their right to leave the state pension plan.
▷ utilize also utilise British /ˈjuːtɪlaɪz, ˈjuːtəlaɪz/ [transitive verb] formal
to use something that is available to you :
▪ Employers must utilize their workers more effectively if the region is to become an economic success.
▷ draw on /ˈdrɔː ɒn/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to use information, knowledge, or experience that you have learned in the past, in order to do something more effectively :
▪ As a teacher, she drew on her knowledge of her own children.
▪ Journalists draw on both published and unofficial information from many different sources.
▪ It was a challenge, but luckily we had the experience to draw on.
▷ exploit /ɪkˈsplɔɪt/ [transitive verb]
to use something as fully and effectively as possible in order to gain as much as possible from it :
▪ Britain consistently fails to exploit the scientific discoveries made in its universities.
▪ The country’s natural resources have not yet been fully exploited.
3. to use a service that is available
▷ use /juːz/ [transitive verb]
▪ How often do you use the library?
▪ Now that we have a car we very rarely use the buses.
▪ The hotel used to offer a baby-sitting service, but no one ever used it.
use /juːs/ [uncountable noun]
▪ There has been a decline in the use of the subway system over recent years.
▷ make use of /ˌmeɪk ˈjuːs ɒv/ [verb phrase]
to use something that is available, especially in order to enjoy it or to get something that you want from it :
▪ Not enough people are making use of the company’s fitness centre.
make good use of something
▪ Students are encouraged to make good use of all the computing facilities.
4. someone who uses something
▷ user /ˈjuːzəʳ/ [countable noun]
▪ Software should be designed to be as accessible as possible to users.
road/phone/library etc user
▪ Drunken drivers are a menace to themselves and other road users.
▪ A new information service will soon be available to library users.
end user
the person who uses a product
▪ Computers are sold direct to end users as well as through dealers.
5. to use a situation in order to gain an advantage
▷ use /juːz/ [transitive verb]
use something to do something
▪ She used her position as manager to get jobs for her friends.
▪ The prisoners used the confusion caused by the fire to conceal their escape.
use something for something
▪ Charles was able to use his family connection for his own personal advancement.
use something as something
▪ Right-wing activists used people’s fear of unemployment as a way of stirring up extremism.
▷ exploit /ɪkˈsplɔɪt/ [transitive verb]
to use a situation in order to gain as much advantage for yourself as possible, especially in a way that people disapprove of :
▪ Opposition leaders were quick to exploit government embarrassment over the incident.
exploit something to do something
▪ The country could exploit its position as a major oil producer to push up world oil prices.
▷ make use of /ˌmeɪk ˈjuːs ɒv/ [verb phrase]
to use a situation in order to gain an advantage for yourself, especially when that situation has already existed for some time :
▪ I made use of my old contacts to get a job when I come back from Australia.
▪ The Republicans were making use of their large majority in congress to block legislation on taxes.
▷ take advantage of /ˌteɪk ədˈvɑːntɪdʒ ɒv ǁ-ˈvæn-/ [verb phrase]
to use an opportunity in order to do what you want or need to do :
▪ Shoppers flocked to take advantage of a supermarket price war which cut the price of many goods.
take advantage of to do something
▪ Many small investors are taking advantage of these attractive share offers to make a quick profit.
▷ play on /ˈpleɪ ɒn/ [transitive phrasal verb]
play on somebody’s fears/greed/sympathy/prejudices etc
to use someone’s fears, sympathy etc in order to gain an advantage for yourself :
▪ A common sales tactic is to play on people’s greed in order to make them buy more than they need.
▪ Disguised as an electrician, he played on people’s trust to trick them out of money.
▷ capitalize on /ˈkæpɪtl-aɪz ɒn/ [transitive phrasal verb not in passive]
to use a situation in order to gain an advantage and make yourself more successful or more effective :
▪ Teachers can capitalize on young children’s natural curiosity.
fail to capitalize on something
▪ The generals failed to capitalize on the weaknesses and divisions in the enemy camp.
capitalize on to do something
▪ Will the President capitalize on his immense popularity to exert strong leadership?
6. used for a particular purpose
▷ be used /biː ˈjuːzd/ [verb phrase]
be used as
▪ Three extra rooms were used as classrooms when necessary.
▪ An old Chianti bottle can be used as an attractive base for a table-lamp.
be used for
▪ The tanks are used for storing chemicals.
be used to do something
▪ Hypnosis is sometimes used to help people give up smoking.
▷ be for /biː ˈfɔːʳ/ [verb phrase]
to be intended to be used for a particular purpose :
▪ ‘What are these buttons for?’ ‘They’re for controlling the heating system.’
▪ The phones are for internal communication only.
▷ serve as /ˈsɜːʳv æz/ [verb phrase not usually in progressive]
to be used for a particular purpose, especially a different purpose from its original one :
▪ The old hospital in London Road now serves as a hostel for the homeless.
▪ They had no bathroom, so a hole in the ground served as a toilet.
▷ double as /ˈdʌb ə l æz/ [transitive phrasal verb not usually in progressive]
if something doubles as something else, it is used for that purpose as well as for its original purpose :
▪ The village post-office doubles as a store.
▪ Lingerie that doubles as clothing was very fashionable at the time.
7. what something can be used for
▷ use /juːs/ [countable noun]
a way in which something can be used :
▪ Robots have many different uses in modern industry.
▪ The land has been developed for tourism and other recreational uses.
use of
▪ the use of animals in scientific experiments
▷ application /ˌæplɪˈkeɪʃ ə n/ [countable noun]
a practical use of something, especially in science or industry :
application of
▪ The possible applications of this invention are limitless.
practical application
▪ scientific research and its practical applications
▷ function /ˈfʌŋkʃ ə n/ [countable noun]
the purpose for which something is intended or the way people use it :
▪ What is the function of literature in our society?
function of
▪ The main function of the bars is to protect the driver’s legs.
8. being used now
▷ be in use /biː ɪn ˈjuːs/ [verb phrase]
if a room or machine is in use, it is being used by someone at the present time :
▪ The meeting room is in use at the moment, so we’ll have to go somewhere else.
▪ All the photocopiers are in use. Could you come back later?
▷ be occupied /biː ˈɒkjɑpaɪdǁ-ˈɑːk-/ [verb phrase]
if seats, rooms, beds etc are occupied, they are being used and are therefore not available for anyone else to use :
▪ All the chairs in the hall were occupied and at least 100 people had to stand.
▪ We’re having to turn patients away because all the beds are occupied.
▷ be taken /biː ˈteɪkən/ [verb phrase]
if a seat in a train, theatre, restaurant etc is taken, it is not available because someone else is already sitting there or will be soon :
▪ I’m sorry. This seat’s taken.
▪ There was nowhere to sit down in the hall. All the seats were taken.
▷ be engaged /biː ɪnˈgeɪdʒd/ [verb phrase] British
if a telephone line or a public toilet is engaged, someone else is using it :
▪ Every time I try to call her, the line’s engaged.
▪ When the toilet is engaged, a red light shows above the door.
9. something that can be used
▷ available /əˈveɪləb ə l/ [adjective]
something that is available can be used, for example because no one else is using it or it is not being used for anything else :
▪ This program will take up a lot of your available disk space.
every available
▪ Houses were being built on every available plot of land.
whatever is available
▪ Use whatever seasonal vegetables are available.
▷ free /friː/ [adjective]
use this about a chair, room, table etc that you can use because no-one else is using it :
▪ The office next door is free if you need somewhere to work.
▪ There’s just one free table, over there in the corner.
▷ usable /ˈjuːzəb ə l/ [adjective]
something that is usable can be used, because it works well or because it has been made ready for use :
▪ I know the bicycle’s old, but it’s still usable.
▪ The refinery turns crude oil into usable products such as gas and tar.
▪ The program has some nice features that make it more usable than most.
▷ valid /ˈvælɪd, ˈvæləd/ [adjective]
if a ticket, passport etc is valid, you can legally use it and it will be officially accepted. :
▪ Do you have a valid driver’s license?
valid for
▪ Your ticket is valid for travel at any time of the day.
valid for 10 years/two months/one week etc
▪ My passport is valid for 10 years.
▷ current /ˈkʌrəntǁˈkɜːr-/ [adjective usually before noun]
a current official document has not yet reached the date after which it can no longer be used :
▪ Acceptable forms of ID include a current passport or a birth certificate.
10. something that can be used in various ways
▷ versatile /ˈvɜːʳsətaɪlǁ-tl/ [adjective]
something that is versatile can be used in many different ways :
▪ Few foods are as versatile as cheese.
▪ Because lavender oil is versatile and cheap, it is the most used in aromatherapy.
▪ a versatile work table
▷ multi-purpose /ˌmʌlti ˈpɜːʳpəs◂/ [adjective only before noun]
a multi-purpose tool, machine, piece of equipment etc has been specially designed to have many different uses :
▪ The emergency box contains a multi-purpose knife with screwdriver, scissors and a can-opener.
▪ The new multi-purpose bank card gives access to your checking accounts and can also be used as a credit card.
▷ all-purpose /ˈɔːl ˌpɜːʳpəs/ [adjective only before noun]
an all-purpose product has been specially made for all the uses which that type of product has :
▪ You can buy an all-purpose greetings card, with blank space, for you to write in your own message.
▪ an all-purpose cleaning fluid
11. to use something again
▷ reuse /ˌriːˈjuːz/ [transitive verb]
to use something more than once :
▪ The supermarket encourages shoppers to reuse plastic bags.
▪ The bottles are designed to be reused up to 20 times.
▷ recycle /ˌriːˈsaɪk ə l/ [transitive verb]
to put bottles, newspapers, cans etc through a process so that they can be used for making new glass products, paper etc :
▪ New techniques for recycling plastics are being introduced.
recyclable [adjective]
▪ Most cans are recyclable.
recycled [adjective]
▪ All our envelopes are made from recycled paper.
recycling [adjective only before noun]
▪ a recycling bin
12. to use something wrongly
▷ misuse /ˌmɪsˈjuːz/ [transitive verb]
to use something wrongly, for a purpose that was not intended :
▪ Measures must be taken to prevent confidential data from being misused.
▪ He is accused of misusing public funds.
misuse /ˌmɪsˈjuːs/ [countable/uncountable noun]
▪ Opponents of genetic engineering see it as a misuse of scientific knowledge.
▷ abuse /əˈbjuːz/ [transitive verb]
to use something for a bad purpose, especially to use a position of power or trust in order to get a personal advantage :
▪ Local politicians abused their privileges to make themselves rich.
▪ people who abuse the welfare system
abuse /əˈbjuːs/ [uncountable noun]
▪ This is an obscene abuse of political power.
13. words, remarks, ideas etc that have been used too much
▷ over-used /ˌəʊvəʳ ˈjuːzd◂/ [adjective]
used too much and therefore no longer interesting or effective :
▪ ‘Creative’ is an over-used word nowadays and is difficult to define.
▪ His lecture turned out to be full of unoriginal material and over-used examples.
▷ stale /steɪl/ [adjective]
no longer interesting or exciting because of having been used too much :
▪ Nicholson’s routine was full of stale old jokes that we’d all heard before.
▪ stale advertising images
▷ trite /traɪt/ [adjective]
a trite remark, idea etc has been used so often, that is seems boring or not sincere :
▪ I know it might sound like a trite remark, but mothers usually know best.
▷ be wearing thin /biː ˌwe ə rɪŋ ˈθɪn/ [verb phrase]
if an excuse, an argument, someone’s behaviour etc is wearing thin, it has been used so often that it no longer has any effect and is annoying :
▪ Her rebellious teenager act is wearing thin. After all, she’s nearly twenty-five.
be wearing a bit/a little thin
▪ That joke is wearing a bit thin now, Stuart.
▷ clichéd /ˈkliːʃeɪdǁkliːˈʃeɪd/ [adjective]
speech, writing or an idea that is clichéd is boring and without real meaning, because it is not original at all :
▪ the clichéd openings of jokes like, ‘Have you heard the one about...?’
▪ We work well together and we are really good friends. I know it sounds clichéd but it’s the truth.
▷ hackneyed /ˈhæknid/ [adjective]
a hackneyed phrase, statement etc is boring and does not have much meaning because it has been used so often before :
▪ Politicians tend to repeat the same hackneyed expressions over and over again.
▪ All those slogans we used to chant sound so hackneyed now.
14. no longer being used
▷ disused /ˌdɪsˈjuːzd◂/ [adjective only before noun] especially British
a disused factory, mine, railway etc is old and not used any more :
▪ The drugs were found in a disused warehouse.
▪ They have been given a grant to convert the disused church into luxury flats.
▷ unused /ˌʌnˈjuːzd◂/ [adjective]
something that is unused has not yet been used or has not been used for a long time :
▪ His old car sat in the garage, unused.
▪ Batteries which are unused for long periods may have to be recharged.
▪ Unused muscles can feel very sore when you start exercising.
▷ idle /ˈaɪdl/ [adjective not before noun]
if machines or factories are idle, they are not being used :
▪
stand/sit/lie idle
▪ Most of the factory stood idle during the strike.
▪ The new machines may sit idle for months until they have been paid for.
▪ Why is millions of pounds worth of state-of-the-art equipment lying idle?
▷ gather dust /ˌgæðəʳ ˈdʌst/ [verb phrase]
if something such as a machine or a plan gathers dust, it is not being used, especially when it could be useful :
▪ Some of the new equipment is just gathering dust because the staff have not been trained to use it.
▪ The plans lie gathering dust in some government office.
▷ fall into disuse /ˌfɔːl ɪntə dɪsˈjuːs/ [verb phrase]
if something falls into disuse, people gradually stop using it because they no longer need or want it :
▪ The canal system fell into disuse around the end of the nineteenth century.
▪ When the old woman died, the house fell into disuse.
15. documents, tickets etc that can no longer be used
▷ invalid /ɪnˈvælɪd, ɪnˈvæləd/ [adjective]
a ticket, passport etc that is invalid cannot legally be used and it will not be officially accepted :
▪ I’m afraid your ticket is invalid on this route.
▪ This passport is invalid. Look at the expiry date.
▷ out of date /ˌaʊt əv ˈdeɪt/ [adjective/adverb phrase]
a ticket, passport etc that is out of date cannot be used because the time during which it could be used has passed :
▪ Are you aware that your passport is out of date?
days/months/years out of date
▪ He tried to get on the train using a pass that was months out of date.
▷ null and void /ˌnʌl ən ˈvɔɪd/ [adjective phrase]
a document such as a contract that is null and void has no legal force and cannot be used for any purpose - used in legal contexts :
▪ If the contract has not been signed by witnesses, it is considered null and void.
16. to use an amount of something
▷ use /juːz/ [transitive verb]
to use an amount of something such as fuel, water, or food :
▪ Who’s used all the hot water?
▪ We use about six pints of milk a week.
▪ Planning is essential to make sure that resources are used effectively.
▪ The average Westerner uses over 260 lbs of paper every year.
▷ use up /ˌjuːz ˈʌp/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to use all of something, so that there is none left :
use up something
▪ We should use up everything in the fridge before we go on vacation.
▪ The country’s oil reserves will soon be used up.
use something up
▪ That is to say, once we have used our fossil fuels up, there won’t be any more.
▷ consume /kənˈsjuːmǁ-ˈsuːm/ [transitive verb] formal
to use fuel, energy, water, and other natural products - use this especially to talk about the amount of fuel, energy etc used by people in general :
▪ The US imports 45% of the oil that it consumes.
▪ Industrialized countries consume natural resources in huge quantities.
▷ get/go through /ˈget, ˈgəʊ θruː/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to use a large amount of something in a short period :
▪ Sometimes I go through a whole pack of cigarettes in a single afternoon.
▪ We went through our food supplies at an alarming rate.
▷ burn up /ˌbɜːʳn ˈʌp/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to use a lot of something, especially energy or fuel :
▪ In the typical Western diet, all the energy in protein is burned up daily.
burn up calories
to use energy, for example by exercising
▪ Women tend to burn up calories less efficiently than men.
▷ eat up /ˌiːt ˈʌp/ [transitive phrasal verb]
if something eats up money, gas, electricity etc, it uses it very quickly and in large amounts :
▪ My rent eats up most of my money.
▪ Non-energy saving light bulbs just eat up electricity.
▪ The V8 is a very powerful engine, but it really eats up gas.
▷ take up /ˌteɪk ˈʌp/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to use space or time, especially a lot of it :
▪ Filing cabinets are very useful but they take up a lot of space.
▪ I’ll go now - I don’t want to take up too much of your time.
▷ expend /ɪkˈspend/ [transitive verb] formal
expend energy/time/effort etc
to use energy, time etc when you are doing something, usually too much of it :
▪ The final result hardly justifies the amount of time and energy that has been expended.
expend something on/upon something
▪ We expend a lot of effort every day upon quite pointless activities.
17. the amount of something that is used
▷ consumption /kənˈsʌmpʃ ə n/ [uncountable noun]
the amount of fuel, energy etc that people use :
water/fuel/energy etc consumption
▪ The government is urging people to reduce their water consumption.
▪ Most people are aware of the need to reduce energy consumption.
consumption of
▪ declining consumption of coal, oil and gas
18. someone that regularly uses amounts of something
▷ user /ˈjuːzəʳ/ [countable noun]
▪ Part of the increase in price will be passed on to private users.
▪ one of the heaviest users of fossil fuels in the world
drug user
▪ There is a growing concern about the spread of AIDS among drug users.
▷ consumer /kənˈsjuːməʳǁ-ˈsuː-/ [countable noun]
someone who buys and uses products and services :
▪ Only 25% of the price a consumer pays for vegetables goes to the farmer.
consumer demand/behaviour/preferences etc
▪ Supermarkets are responding to increased consumer demand for organic products.
▪ Improved consumer choice is one of the benefits of a free market.
the consumer
consumers generally
▪ Any increase in the cost of transporting goods will be passed on to the consumer.
19. amounts of something that have not been used
▷ unused /ˌʌnˈjuːzd◂/ [adjective usually before noun]
something that is unused, has not been used, especially because it has not been needed :
▪ Any unused wool can be returned to the shop.
▪ Unused ammunition was dumped by US planes over Laos.
▪ the safe disposal of unused stocks of pharmaceutical products
▷ untouched /ˌʌnˈtʌtʃt◂/ [adjective]
not used at all - use this when it is unusual or surprising that something has not been used :
▪ The guests had disappeared and the food was untouched.
leave something untouched
▪ We managed to leave our savings untouched when we bought the new car.
▷ untapped /ˌʌnˈtæpt◂/ [adjective]
untapped supplies of something, especially a natural product, have not been used :
▪ Untapped reserves of oil and minerals are thought to lie beneath the desert.
▪ The firm recognized that the potential of their databases went largely untapped.
untapped resources
▪ The plants of the Australian outback represent a vast untapped resource.
20. to use someone for your own advantage
▷ use /juːz/ [transitive verb]
▪ Can’t you see they’re just using you?
▪ She lets herself be used and then dropped by almost every man she meets.
use somebody to do something
▪ The drug smugglers used innocent travellers to carry the drugs through customs.
use somebody for your own ends
for your own advantage
▪ In his political life, he was not above using his family for his own ends.
▷ take advantage of /ˌteɪk ədˈvɑːntɪdʒ ɒvǁ-ˈvæn-/ [verb phrase]
to use someone for your own advantage, especially someone who is very generous or is easily persuaded or deceived :
▪ Don’t let them take advantage of you. Stand up for yourself.
▪ Older brothers and sisters often take advantage of the younger children in a family.
take advantage of somebody’s good nature
▪ She’s always willing to babysit, but I don’t want to take advantage of her good nature.
▷ exploit /ɪkˈsplɔɪt/ [transitive verb]
to use someone in order to get what you want, especially to make money from their work :
▪ Many employers are only too ready to exploit and underpay female part-time workers.
▪ Peasants in remote areas of the country were being shamelessly exploited by wealthy land owners.
exploitation /ˌeksplɔɪˈteɪʃ ə n/ [uncountable noun]
▪ protests against the exploitation of children in the clothing industry
▷ manipulate /məˈnɪpjɑleɪt/ [transitive verb]
to make someone do exactly what you want them to do by influencing them in a clever and dishonest way :
▪ He’s so crazy about her he doesn’t realize he’s being manipulated.
manipulate somebody into (doing) something
▪ He managed to manipulate her into lending his company £500,000.
▪ He’s such a nice man, I could imagine him getting manipulated into a situation like that.
manipulation /məˌnɪpjɑˈleɪʃ ə n/ [uncountable noun]
▪ the manipulation of public opinion by the media
manipulative /məˈnɪpjɑlətɪvǁ-leɪtɪv/ [adjective]
good at manipulating people :
▪ Small children can be quite manipulative.
▷ can wrap/wind somebody around your little finger /kən ˌræp, ˌwaɪnd somebody əraʊnd jɔːʳ ˌlɪtl ˈfɪŋgəʳ/ [verb phrase] informal
to be able to persuade someone to do anything you want, especially someone who likes or loves you :
▪ Young girls quickly learn how to wind Daddy around their little finger.
have somebody wound/wrapped around your little finger
▪ It was obvious she had her mother wrapped around her little finger.
21. someone who is used by someone else
▷ pawn /pɔːn/ [countable noun]
someone who is used by a more powerful person or group as part of their plans for getting power, especially when the person being used does not realize this :
▪ The soldiers were nothing more than pawns, regarded as dispensable by their officers.
use somebody as a pawn
▪ The ambassador was being used as a pawn in the struggle between the two superpowers.
▷ puppet /ˈpʌpɪt, ˈpʌpət/ [countable noun]
a ruler or government that seems to be independent but is really controlled by the government of another more powerful country :
a puppet ruler/regime/government
▪ In 1290, Edward I set up a puppet government in the Scottish lowlands.
puppet of
▪ During the 70s many Eastern European leaders were merely puppets of the Kremlin.
▷ tool /tuːl/ [countable noun]
someone who is controlled and used unfairly by another person or group, especially to do something bad :
tool of
▪ The king was merely a tool of the military regime.
▷ stooge /stuːdʒ/ [countable noun]
someone who always does what another person or group wants :
▪ Community leaders in the area are widely regarded as police stooges.
stooge of
▪ He accused her of being a stooge of the Tory Party.
▷ instrument /ˈɪnstrɪmənt, ˈɪnstrəmənt/ [countable noun]
someone who is used and controlled by someone or something more powerful :
instrument of
▪ Even small children were used as instruments of the regime, encouraged to spy on and report their parents.
▪ The Committee on Ethics in Public Life was regarded by many as being a mere instrument of the government.