as in symbol
a device, design, or figure used as an identifying mark
the bald eagle, that universally recognized totem of our country
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of totem
Ketchikan adds totem heritage, creek-side boardwalks and salmon runs right through town.
—
Jill Schildhouse, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
There are garments worn by clergy in the late 18th century and religious totems, and items used by explorers from around the same general time period: a saddle, a tobacco pouch, a cooking griddle, and things like a pistol and gunpowder horn.
—Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post, 4 Aug. 2025
The French had destroyed all trace of totems and iconography associated with the old religion.
—Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 11 July 2025
There were video game plushies, Bratz shirts, Minecraft totems, along with some Southern fetishism like cowboy boots and half-unbuttoned flannels.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for totem
Jill Schildhouse, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
There are garments worn by clergy in the late 18th century and religious totems, and items used by explorers from around the same general time period: a saddle, a tobacco pouch, a cooking griddle, and things like a pistol and gunpowder horn.
—Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post, 4 Aug. 2025
The French had destroyed all trace of totems and iconography associated with the old religion.
—Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 11 July 2025
There were video game plushies, Bratz shirts, Minecraft totems, along with some Southern fetishism like cowboy boots and half-unbuttoned flannels.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for totem
Recent Examples of Synonyms for totem
Noun
-
See how commonwealth compares to other states The classic Halloween symbol is also great at dividing the masses.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
2 Oct. 2025
-
The wind is a spirit-nature [symbol] and also a guide, but the spirit within her is the thing that’s building over time.—
Destiny Jackson,
Deadline,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
On the famous byway out front, a large white Route 66 emblem is painted on the road.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Beer bottles litter the foreground, blunt emblems of drunk driving.—
Jerry Saltz,
Vulture,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The complex is decorated in the school colors, red and black with the Bobcat logo prominently displayed.—
John Wisely,
Freep.com,
3 Oct. 2025
-
His website features photos of him in military uniform, and his campaign logo features a silhouetted Chinook combat helicopter.—
Vivian Jones,
Nashville Tennessean,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Tanev’s positioning, stick-work and ability to get out of trouble in his own zone are all elite hallmarks of his game.—
The Athletic NHL,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
-
But those aren’t the only hallmarks that make Ebertfest unique among film festivals.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Is Kai Trump violating trademark laws?—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
29 Sep. 2025
-
The cake artist and fashion model partnered the aesthetic with her trademark winged eyeliner and bronzy shadow filling her eyelids.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
26 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Totem.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/totem. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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