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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wampum
Similar stories played out with other forms of money, such as wampum beads.
—
Dave Birnbaum, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
Elizabeth James-Perry and Erin Genia: Wampanoag and Dakota Adornment
James-Perry, honored this year with a National Heritage Fellowship by the National Endowment for the Arts, makes wampum jewelry, textiles, and maritime art directly tied to her Aquinnah Wampanoag tribal heritage.
—Lauren Daley, BostonGlobe.com, 25 July 2023
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
See All Example Sentences for wampum
Dave Birnbaum, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
Elizabeth James-Perry and Erin Genia: Wampanoag and Dakota Adornment
James-Perry, honored this year with a National Heritage Fellowship by the National Endowment for the Arts, makes wampum jewelry, textiles, and maritime art directly tied to her Aquinnah Wampanoag tribal heritage.
—Lauren Daley, BostonGlobe.com, 25 July 2023
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
See All Example Sentences for wampum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wampum
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
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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
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And then on the flip side of the coin, there was a lot going on.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
14 Feb. 2026
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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
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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
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Investigators said Dicer paid those boys in classroom currency.—
Jennifer Borrasso,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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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
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Over 3 billion bucks in overall box office take?—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The cash, gold, jewels, and crypto are all ready.—
Kaycee Sloan,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
13 Feb. 2026
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Blige rounded out the neutral ensemble with oversize sunglasses and chunky gold hoops.—
Kelsey Stewart,
Footwear News,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wampum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wampum. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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