pawnbroker
noun
pawn·bro·ker
ˈpȯn-ˌbrō-kər 
ˈpän-
: one who lends money in exchange for personal property that can be sold if the loan is not repaid by a certain time
Examples of pawnbroker in a Sentence
He was desperate for money so he hocked his watch to a pawnbroker.
Recent Examples on the Web
The dialogue is overly ornate, with long monologues filled with highfalutin references, and there’s no distinct characterization: A Bronx pawnbroker talks the same as a Manhattan equities trader.
—
Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 11 Apr. 2025
But with this adventurous yarn of back alley deals and rooftop escapes, Grossman challenges the narrative of the Jewish pawnbroker in history, illustrating how prejudice marginalized and villainized an entire group of people.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 13 Dec. 2024
Gun sellers in this story were based on license categories 1, 2 and 9 from the ATF, which includes dealers in firearms other than destructive devices, including gunsmiths; pawnbrokers that sell firearms other than destructive devices; and dealers of destructive devices.
—Ramsey Archibald | Rarchibald@al.com, al, 10 July 2023
Because of these limits, banks kept interest rates between 6 and 12 percent and didn’t do much business with the poor, who in a pinch took their valuables to the pawnbroker or the loan shark.
—Matthew Desmond, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for pawnbroker
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Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 11 Apr. 2025
But with this adventurous yarn of back alley deals and rooftop escapes, Grossman challenges the narrative of the Jewish pawnbroker in history, illustrating how prejudice marginalized and villainized an entire group of people.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 13 Dec. 2024
Gun sellers in this story were based on license categories 1, 2 and 9 from the ATF, which includes dealers in firearms other than destructive devices, including gunsmiths; pawnbrokers that sell firearms other than destructive devices; and dealers of destructive devices.
—Ramsey Archibald | Rarchibald@al.com, al, 10 July 2023
Because of these limits, banks kept interest rates between 6 and 12 percent and didn’t do much business with the poor, who in a pinch took their valuables to the pawnbroker or the loan shark.
—Matthew Desmond, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for pawnbroker
Cite this Entry
“Pawnbroker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pawnbroker. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pawnbroker
noun
pawn·bro·ker
ˈpȯn-ˌbrō-kər
ˈpän-
: a person who makes a business of lending money and keeping personal property as a guarantee
Legal Definition
pawnbroker
noun
pawn·bro·ker
ˈpȯn-ˌbrō-kər
: a person who lends money on the security of personal or movable property pledged in his or her keeping or who buys personal property and gives the seller an opportunity to buy back the property
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