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
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After age 18, Trump Accounts act like IRAs Parent contributions are after-tax, but that money is not taxable when it is withdrawn.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
31 Aug. 2025
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The Trump administration has also cut off money to other elite colleges, including Columbia University, the University of Pennsylvania and Cornell University, over issues including the handling of pro-Palestinian activism and transgender athletes' participation in women's sports.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Aug. 2025
Noun
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There’s also one year of free Supercharging, though that’s limited to cash orders only.—
Jim Gorzelany,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
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Since the poll’s inception in 1998, the average cash gift left by the Tooth Fairy has increased 285% from $1.30 to $5.01 per tooth.—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
14 Aug. 2025
Noun
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While certain options can erode some of the value proposition that the model offers over its German rivals, the starting price is still under six figures, and the driving experience for the coin is simply unparalleled.—
Bradley Iger,
Robb Report,
27 Aug. 2025
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The story is usually told in simple terms: A company acquires more coins, investors cheer, and the market cap rises.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Aug. 2025
Noun
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India has also spoken out against a Russian-Chinese proposal to launch a BRICS currency.—
Vasuki Shastry,
Forbes.com,
25 Aug. 2025
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The speech, delivered amid mounting economic uncertainty and political pressure, provided new signals on the Fed’s interest rate outlook that immediately moved stocks, bonds, and global currencies.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
22 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Trump also has overhauled the Oval Office with gold trimmings, put 88-foot-tall flagpoles on the north and south lawn of the White House and is working on a bathroom in the Lincoln Bedroom.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
23 Aug. 2025
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Suddenly floating alongside the crew in zero gravity was a little gold man: Not C-3PO, but an Oscar statuette itself.—
Christian Blauvelt,
IndieWire,
22 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wampum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wampum. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.
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