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
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
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
See All Example Sentences for wampum
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
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
See All Example Sentences for wampum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wampum
Noun
-
Corporations love money more than anything, & this will really harm them and force them to do the right thing.—
Amanda Castro
Shane Croucher
Anna Commander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
-
Biglari’s core demands were to stop opening new stores entirely, eliminate the development team to save money, and focus exclusively on improving existing store operations rather than expansion.—
Lily Mae Lazarus,
Fortune,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The associate handed each worker a stack of cash.—
ProPublica,
ProPublica,
13 Sep. 2025
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Despite having a reputation for being at the cutting-edge of technological trends, cash is king in Japan.—
Caroline Reid,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The brand showcased new versions of its viral Kisslock bag and mini coin purses worn as necklaces (plus, more print media, with tiny books in the form of earrings and bag charms).—
Anika Reed,
USA Today,
18 Sep. 2025
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Accessories included snap coin purse necklaces and clutches as well as dangling earrings made of small (real) books — a reference to the boxes of books and other ephemera residents leave out on stoops to pass along.—
Jacqui Palumbo,
CNN Money,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The Chinese yuan's recent rally against the greenback may still have room to run as Beijing guides the currency higher and is seen as favoring holding off on the next rate cut.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
16 Sep. 2025
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Visa, for example, supports USDC, EuroC, USDG and PYUSD as settlement currencies on its network across four different blockchains, seven days a week.—
Aaron Stanley,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Software developers who are looking for a few bucks on the side are willing to take on these duties.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
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Near the end of their trip, Frazier loaned Ali a hundred bucks.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Note the rose gold surrounds of the analog-style gauges.—
Mark Ewing,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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Made up of eight pieces, the high jewelry capsule’s designs are crafted from 18-karat ethical gold, aligning with Chopard’s Journey to Sustainable Luxury initiative unveiled in 2018.—
Thomas Waller,
Footwear News,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wampum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wampum. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
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