as in cash
something (as pieces of stamped metal or printed paper) customarily and legally used as a medium of exchange, a measure of value, or a means of payment
coins and bills are considered legal tender, but postage stamps are not
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of legal tender
In early 2022, Nayib Bukele—the president of El Salvador who made Bitcoin legal tender in his country—photoshopped himself wearing a McDonald’s uniform after the cryptocurrency dropped.
—
Carlos Garcia, Fortune, 29 Nov. 2025
Impact on Customers Though the penny will remain legal tender, everyday cash transactions may increasingly resemble McDonald’s policy, with retailers rounding to the nearest nickel when pennies are unavailable.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025
While pennies will remain legal tender, old ones will gradually be taken out of circulation.
—Nancy Forster-Holt, The Conversation, 20 Nov. 2025
While the penny remains legal tender, banks and merchants are already reporting shortages.
—Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 16 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for legal tender
Carlos Garcia, Fortune, 29 Nov. 2025
Impact on Customers Though the penny will remain legal tender, everyday cash transactions may increasingly resemble McDonald’s policy, with retailers rounding to the nearest nickel when pennies are unavailable.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025
While pennies will remain legal tender, old ones will gradually be taken out of circulation.
—Nancy Forster-Holt, The Conversation, 20 Nov. 2025
While the penny remains legal tender, banks and merchants are already reporting shortages.
—Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 16 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for legal tender
Recent Examples of Synonyms for legal tender
Noun
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Futures on China’s 30-year and 10-year bonds dropped the most since late December on Monday, while corresponding cash yields climbed.—
Bloomberg News,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
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Impala Platinum has opened formal talks with Zimbabwe’s central bank and lined up meetings with both the South African and Zimbabwean governments to press for clarity on Harare’s export-earnings policy, its CEO told Semafor, escalating a commercial cash-flow dispute into bilateral negotiations.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The money will help the designer fund Tuesday’s show, relaunch his e-commerce site, invest in marketing and out-of-home advertising in Georgia, and develop new categories like bags and shoes.—
Lucy Maguire,
Vogue,
10 Mar. 2026
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With that in mind, the USA TODAY Cars team compiled a list of tips that could help drivers save money on gas.—
Keith Laing,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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In lieu of fancy cars, everyone got to the ceremony on pick-up trucks, and were given distinctive, rare Buffalo nickel coins to carry around, to show the security teams when required.—
Radhika Seth,
Vogue,
7 Mar. 2026
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For those considering adding the metal to their portfolios, the good news is that there are multiple ways to invest in silver — from physical coins and bars to ETFs, mining stocks and more advanced trading instruments.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
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House Republicans, meanwhile, still want to see more of their ideas included, and an expiration date for banning central bank digital currency removed.—
Eleanor Mueller,
semafor.com,
11 Mar. 2026
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The company attributed the decline to Trump's tariff regime, as well as currency fluctuations and costs associated with adjusting its Porsche product strategy.—
Joseph Wilkins,Chloe Taylor,Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Add the wine pairing for an extra few bucks, ending with strawberry rhubarb shortcake and Moscato.—
Brock Keeling,
Oc Register,
6 Mar. 2026
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By just about any measure this spring, only the big-bucks Dodgers and Blue Jays are held in higher esteem than the Mariners, whose payroll is lighter than the Rangers’.—
Kevin Sherrington
Mar. 6,
Dallas Morning News,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Legal tender.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/legal%20tender. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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