greenback

noun

green·​back ˈgrēn-ˌbak 

: a legal-tender note issued by the U.S. government

Synonyms of greenback

• bill
• dollar
• note
• currency

Examples of greenback in a Sentence

she threw a few greenbacks on the counter to pay for the drinks

Recent Examples on the Web

Back in the mid-1980s, the dollar’s strength against other major currencies triggered a crisis that had Washington reducing the value of the greenback, a key factor that led to the stock market crash in 1987. — Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026

The dollar’s valuation says little about dollar hegemony Executives and investors around the world have good reason to care about the greenback’s value as their revenues, assets, liabilities, and competitiveness often depend on it. — Philipp Carlsson-Szlezak, Fortune, 17 July 2026

As of July 3, the yen was hovering around the 162 level against the greenback. — Lim Hui Jie,lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 3 July 2026

Because gold is sold globally in dollars, a strong greenback makes gold more expensive for international buyers and decreases demand. — Faith Wakefield, USA Today, 29 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1862, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for greenback

• aback
• attack
• backpack
• backtrack
• bareback
• blackjack
• brownback
• buyback
• callback
• cognac
• comeback
• cutback

Kids Definition

greenback

noun

green·​back ˈgrēn-ˌbak 

: a piece of U.S. paper money