as in symbol
a device, design, or figure used as an identifying mark
the bald eagle, that universally recognized totem of our country
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of totem
Trader Sam’s took its cues heavily from the Adventureland attraction, its bar flanked by tiki totems with slowly wandering eyes.
—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
2 June 2026
Ketchikan, Alaska, is known as the totem capital of the world and is home to one of the largest collections of standing totem poles anywhere.
—
Josh Rivera,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
In the 1960s, with the rise of the counterculture, totems became an even more widespread trope.
—
Glenn Adamson,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
That substance—sweet, mystical, a little disgusting—had become a totem for ideas about slowness and transcendence and sexuality which were emerging in her music.
—
Jia Tolentino,
New Yorker,
23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for totem
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
2 June 2026
Ketchikan, Alaska, is known as the totem capital of the world and is home to one of the largest collections of standing totem poles anywhere.
—
Josh Rivera,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
In the 1960s, with the rise of the counterculture, totems became an even more widespread trope.
—
Glenn Adamson,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
That substance—sweet, mystical, a little disgusting—had become a totem for ideas about slowness and transcendence and sexuality which were emerging in her music.
—
Jia Tolentino,
New Yorker,
23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for totem
Recent Examples of Synonyms for totem
Noun
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Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran man who unlawfully entered the country in 2011, has become a symbol of the resistance to Trump’s immigration crackdown.
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Remember, the heroic symbols that Ronald Reagan deployed so effectively were swiped from liberalism’s salad days in the Thirties and Forties.
Noun
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More Jews report hiding their Star of David necklaces along with other Jewish emblems; 73% report experiencing antisemitism online.
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Perhaps the most iconic emblem of July 4 is a nighttime sky full of fireworks, and this year will be no exception.
Noun
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White delivery vans with orange Katapulk logos splashed across each side delivered goods all over the island.
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In this photo illustration, the Anthropic logo is seen on a smartphone with a Claude Mythos logo in the background.
Noun
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For years, the singer has marked the Fourth of July holiday with gatherings at her Rhode Island home, hosting friends and family for celebrations that became a hallmark of her summers.
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The hallmarks of cobalt poisoning fit the woman’s array of symptoms neatly.
Cite this Entry
“Totem.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/totem. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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