greenback

noun

green·​back ˈgrēn-ˌbak How to pronounce greenback (audio)
: a legal-tender note issued by the U.S. government

Examples of greenback in a Sentence

she threw a few greenbacks on the counter to pay for the drinks
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Amid his whirlwind tariff talks, President Donald Trump in recent months has extracted promises from international leaders that their countries will recycle greenbacks into buying hundreds of billions worth of American energy. Christopher Helman, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025 The euro is up 11.5% against the dollar this year, hitting its strongest level against the greenback in more than four years. John Towfighi, CNN Money, 25 June 2025 Of course, the Canadian industry has seen earlier pullbacks in Hollywood production expenditures, including around the Canadian loonie trading at par with the American greenback in 2007 and 2008 and due to industry shutdowns at the height of the pandemic and around the 2023 Hollywood strikes. Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 21 July 2025 In his view, that’s why the dollar sank 10% against other top global currencies in the first half of the year, marking the greenback’s worst such performance since 1953. Danny Bakst, Fortune, 13 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for greenback

Word History

First Known Use

1862, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of greenback was in 1862

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Cite this Entry

“Greenback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/greenback. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

greenback

noun
green·​back ˈgrēn-ˌbak How to pronounce greenback (audio)
: a piece of U.S. paper money
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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