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
-
The film’s most frightening scene is a fight between Claire and her mom, when the manipulative young woman tries every tactic imaginable to extort money from Kate, from tearing out her hair to kidnapping Cooper.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
7 June 2025
-
So, for an organisation struggling to find the money needed to make English football’s grassroots facilities green and pleasant once more, Khan’s offer was timely and tempting.—
Matt Slater,
New York Times,
7 June 2025
Noun
-
While cash incentives and catchy songs haven’t proven very effective at convincing people around the world to have children, one thing experts believe might work is cheap or free childcare.—
Alix Martichoux,
The Hill,
15 June 2025
-
However, the judge ruled neither exchange could be entered as evidence, saying the $1 million cash conversation was too prejudicial, while the Gina message lacked context and the necessary foundation to be shown to the jury.—
Cheyenne Roundtree,
Rolling Stone,
15 June 2025
Noun
-
The biggest hurdle will be solving distribution – creating a network effect that results in a coin being widely adopted.—
Michael Abbott,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
-
The coin's limited reach is compounded by a lack of real users.—
MacKenzie Sigalos,
CNBC,
3 June 2025
Noun
-
Put in a different way, trust is the currency of AI success.—
Kolawole Samuel Adebayo,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
-
The currency is used in a number of ways, including for payments and futures trading.—
Kamaron McNair,
CNBC,
13 June 2025
Noun
-
Platinum has returned as a precious metals star, delivery fat profits as investors rotate funds out of gold, the sector leader.—
Tim Treadgold,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
-
And the rising price of gold didn’t seem to deter brands from gravitating to the precious metal.—
Oren Hartov,
Robb Report,
10 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wampum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wampum. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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