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- totem pole 1
totem pole
noun
plural totem poles
1
: a pole or pillar carved and painted with a series of totemic symbols representing family lineage and often mythical or historical incidents and erected by Indigenous peoples of the northwest coast of North America
2
: an order of rank : hierarchy
the people at the bottom/top of the totem pole
As low man on the totem pole [=the least important or least powerful person] I had to clean out the grease trap …—
David Brooks
David Brooks
Examples of totem pole in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Struggles and hope for rebirth The loss of the beloved totem pole outside the Weed supermarket comes amid a tough stretch for Weed, which is still recovering from a deadly 2022 fire that destroyed scores of homes.
—Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2026
Many cruisers start their visit to Klawock by taking in a collection of about two dozen colorful totem poles on a hillside overlooking the harbor.
—Fran Golden, Travel + Leisure, 7 Feb. 2026
But as housing costs increase every year, U.K.’s workers aren’t seeing the same bumps in their annual salaries—especially young people at the bottom of the totem pole.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 15 Jan. 2026
The massive totem pole jutting out from the peaked roof (meant to resemble an Aboriginal longhouse) gives you a hint why Skwachàys Lodge, Canada’s first Aboriginal boutique arts hotel, occupies a niche all its own.
—Guy Saddy, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Jan. 2026
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Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2026
Many cruisers start their visit to Klawock by taking in a collection of about two dozen colorful totem poles on a hillside overlooking the harbor.
—Fran Golden, Travel + Leisure, 7 Feb. 2026
But as housing costs increase every year, U.K.’s workers aren’t seeing the same bumps in their annual salaries—especially young people at the bottom of the totem pole.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 15 Jan. 2026
The massive totem pole jutting out from the peaked roof (meant to resemble an Aboriginal longhouse) gives you a hint why Skwachàys Lodge, Canada’s first Aboriginal boutique arts hotel, occupies a niche all its own.
—Guy Saddy, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for totem pole
Cite this Entry
“Totem pole.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/totem%20pole. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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