1
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
foreign coins are not acceptable lucre in most vending machines in this country
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in profit
the amount of money left when expenses are subtracted from the total amount received
the restaurant owner raised prices in the hope of bringing in more lucre, but it only drove the customers away
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of lucre
At investment banks, such lucre may not be quite as abundant as when formal training programs were set up as a gateway into private partnerships.
—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 28 June 2024
As professional leagues in many sports started popping up around the world in the 20th century, the Olympics drew a hard line, disqualifying any athletes who were tainted by accepting filthy lucre.
—Victor Mather, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2024
Medieval Money celebrates the lucre that made the Morgan Library possible.
—Brian T. Allen, National Review, 18 Jan. 2024
And now, thanks to the Biden administration’s move, the United States has taken a clear step back—and opened the door once more for foreign regimes flooding these think tanks with their lucre.
—Casey Michel, The New Republic, 12 May 2023
See All Example Sentences for lucre
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 28 June 2024
As professional leagues in many sports started popping up around the world in the 20th century, the Olympics drew a hard line, disqualifying any athletes who were tainted by accepting filthy lucre.
—Victor Mather, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2024
Medieval Money celebrates the lucre that made the Morgan Library possible.
—Brian T. Allen, National Review, 18 Jan. 2024
And now, thanks to the Biden administration’s move, the United States has taken a clear step back—and opened the door once more for foreign regimes flooding these think tanks with their lucre.
—Casey Michel, The New Republic, 12 May 2023
See All Example Sentences for lucre
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lucre
Noun
-
Karen Powers overheard the adjuster accusing her husband and brother of having failed to perform work with the money that State Farm had issued on the earlier claim.—
J.C. Hallman,
Oklahoman,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Cathy is also a woman feeling the pressure of getting married, ideally to a dude with money.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Over the same period, corporate profits, or the leftover cash used to grow a business or pay owners, have been on the rise, reaching nearly 12% of the share of gross domestic income in the third quarter, up from 6%.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Cineplex saw its fourth quarter profits and revenue fall on lower theater attendance.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Winners of the Lucky for Life top prize of $1,000 a day for life and second prize of $25,000 a year for life can decide to collect the prize for a minimum of 20 years or take a lump sum cash payment.—
Staff Reports,
The Providence Journal,
9 Feb. 2026
-
To claim a single-payment cash option, a winner has within the first 60 days after the applicable draw date to claim it.—
Lianna Norman,
Florida Times-Union,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
And then on the flip side of the coin, there was a lot going on.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Consider the fate of the $TRUMP meme coin, currently trading below its high of $39 and its low of somewhere south of the Ninth Circle of Hell.—
Pat Beall,
Sun Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Protests sprang up all over Iran in December and January, largely fueled by an unaffordability crisis driven by inflation and the depreciation of the country’s currency.—
Nollyanne Delacruz,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Investigators said Dicer paid those boys in classroom currency.—
Jennifer Borrasso,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Millions of dollars in federal funds were set to flow once again to the Hudson River Tunnel Thursday night, after a federal court order blocking the bucks expired.—
Evan Simko-Bednarski,
New York Daily News,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Over 3 billion bucks in overall box office take?—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lucre.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lucre. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
