as in symbol
a device, design, or figure used as an identifying mark
the bald eagle, that universally recognized totem of our country
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of totem
The dress fetched more than $125,000 at auction, cementing its status as a totem of the couple’s early years.
—
Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
The Chinese take-out eatery included a dining area themed to look like a Tiki lounge with bamboo, oars, totems and puffer fish lamps.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 10 Oct. 2025
The rural Wisconsinite, who died in a psychiatric institution in 1984, became known for keeping as totems pieces of his victims’ bodies, in a string of crimes that shocked bucolic 1950s America.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 30 Sep. 2025
As for accessories, Johansson made her totem necklace — with aquamarine, brown moonstone and orange moonstone — by David Webb the statement jewelry piece of her look.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for totem
Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
The Chinese take-out eatery included a dining area themed to look like a Tiki lounge with bamboo, oars, totems and puffer fish lamps.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 10 Oct. 2025
The rural Wisconsinite, who died in a psychiatric institution in 1984, became known for keeping as totems pieces of his victims’ bodies, in a string of crimes that shocked bucolic 1950s America.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 30 Sep. 2025
As for accessories, Johansson made her totem necklace — with aquamarine, brown moonstone and orange moonstone — by David Webb the statement jewelry piece of her look.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for totem
Recent Examples of Synonyms for totem
Noun
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Whatever explanation is ultimately offered, the image of a mother killed during an enforcement action has become a defining symbol of this moment.—
Dev Patnaik,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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Nesrin Abdullah said that there was no electricity or running water in the town, which a decade ago became the symbol of resistance against IS.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The image, known as the rebel loon, blends the outline of a loon with the familiar rebellion emblem.—
Nick Lunemann,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
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There were also dozens of vehicles that were marked with ICE emblems by a local company seen in a Northland parking lot.—
Ben Wheeler,
Kansas City Star,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The Tencent logo is displayed on the exterior of a building at the company’s headquarters, with a surveillance camera visible in the foreground, on November 30, 2024, in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China.—
Arjun Kharpal,
CNBC,
27 Jan. 2026
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The design features each Grand Slam logo framed within a tennis ball emblem, rendered in the tournament's signature colours, spanning the height of the plane.—
Paula Conway,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Although this is, indeed, one of many hallmarks of symbolic communication in human language, researchers still need to explore the full language-like structure of dolphin communication.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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In early modern England, pardoning was a hallmark of the king’s sovereignty.—
Bernadette Meyler,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Totem.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/totem. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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