pawnshop

noun

pawn·​shop ˈpȯn-ˌshäp How to pronounce pawnshop (audio)
ˈpän-
: a pawnbroker's shop

Examples of pawnshop in a Sentence

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.
Nor is it needed right now with silver being ubiquitous, available through precious metal companies, local pawnshops and jewelers, and even big box retailers like Costco and Walmart. Matt Richardson, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026 In the film, when mobster Marsellus Wallace sees Bruce Willis’ boxer character Butch crossing the street — after Butch defied Wallace’s orders to throw a match — Wallace chases Butch into a pawnshop. Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 6 Mar. 2026 Some families feeling the economic pinch are selling jewelry at pawnshops. Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 27 Feb. 2026 According to Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood, 45-year-old Shaun Burstein — who served as executive director of Arya, a senior living facility in DeBary — is accused of stealing jewelry from elderly residents' rooms and taking it to local pawnshops. Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 11 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pawnshop

Word History

First Known Use

1749, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pawnshop was in 1749

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pawnshop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pawnshop. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

pawnshop

noun
pawn·​shop ˈpȯn-ˌshäp How to pronounce pawnshop (audio)
ˈpän-
: a pawnbroker's shop

Legal Definition

pawnshop

noun
pawn·​shop
: a pawnbroker's shop

More from Merriam-Webster on pawnshop

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