as in money
something (as pieces of stamped metal or printed paper) customarily and legally used as a medium of exchange, a measure of value, or a means of payment
made some real wampum on that last business deal
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wampum
Some of their gear—a pair of shoes, a VHF radio, a wampum sash worth several thousand dollars—now resides on the canal’s bottom.
—
Ben McGrath, The New Yorker, 3 July 2023
There is a really quite amazing scene when Civility and Satcheechoe take a string of wampum and wrap it around the Pennsylvania governor’s arm to symbolically pull him to Albany to meet with all the Native people who have become involved in this case.
—Karin Wulf, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Apr. 2021
Not only were these beads a coveted status symbol, but the powerful Mohawk of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy (or Five Nations Iroquois) of what is now upstate New York, raided coastal peoples who did not furnish wampum for Haudenosaunee rituals.
—National Geographic, 19 Nov. 2020
Many of his pieces are horizontal, recalling the forms of early panoramic art and the woven wampum belts that are a cultural touchstone of his people.
—New York Times, 4 Oct. 2021
See All Example Sentences for wampum
Ben McGrath, The New Yorker, 3 July 2023
There is a really quite amazing scene when Civility and Satcheechoe take a string of wampum and wrap it around the Pennsylvania governor’s arm to symbolically pull him to Albany to meet with all the Native people who have become involved in this case.
—Karin Wulf, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Apr. 2021
Not only were these beads a coveted status symbol, but the powerful Mohawk of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy (or Five Nations Iroquois) of what is now upstate New York, raided coastal peoples who did not furnish wampum for Haudenosaunee rituals.
—National Geographic, 19 Nov. 2020
Many of his pieces are horizontal, recalling the forms of early panoramic art and the woven wampum belts that are a cultural touchstone of his people.
—New York Times, 4 Oct. 2021
See All Example Sentences for wampum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wampum
Noun
-
During their discussion of her 2015 album, Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz, the former Disney star revealed where some of her money went without her accountant's knowledge.—
Angel Saunders,
People.com,
7 June 2025
-
The law passed during the Johnson administration requires the government to administer student loan programs, issue grants and ensure that schools receiving federal money don't discriminate against students.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
7 June 2025
Noun
-
Arrive early, bring cash and a cart, dress for the heat, and don’t skip any rows—treasures can turn up anywhere.—
Kelsey Glennon,
Southern Living,
3 June 2025
-
Combs ran the cash through a money counter in front of him, separating the bills into stacks of $10,000, Garcia recalled.—
Cheyenne Roundtree,
Rolling Stone,
3 June 2025
Noun
-
The coin's limited reach is compounded by a lack of real users.—
MacKenzie Sigalos,
CNBC,
3 June 2025
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The biggest hurdle will be solving distribution – creating a network effect that results in a coin being widely adopted.—
Michael Abbott,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
Noun
-
Pricing in other currencies will be confirmed closer to the launch date.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
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Once a crypto skeptic who said bitcoin seemed like a scam, Trump has now fully embraced digital currency.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 June 2025
Noun
-
Another item predicted to do well is Lot #18, a director’s chair crafted in wood with a red leather seat and back, with Lynch’s name emblazoned in gold on the latter.—
Laurie Brookins,
HollywoodReporter,
30 May 2025
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The category of articles with previous metals includes gold, silver, platinum and other derivative forms of the three, but in the first quarter was more than 90% gold for only the third time in more than two decades.—
Ken Roberts,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wampum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wampum. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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