as in money
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
made some real wampum on that last business deal
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wampum
Similar stories played out with other forms of money, such as wampum beads.
—
Dave Birnbaum, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
Elizabeth James-Perry and Erin Genia: Wampanoag and Dakota Adornment
James-Perry, honored this year with a National Heritage Fellowship by the National Endowment for the Arts, makes wampum jewelry, textiles, and maritime art directly tied to her Aquinnah Wampanoag tribal heritage.
—Lauren Daley, BostonGlobe.com, 25 July 2023
Some of their gear—a pair of shoes, a VHF radio, a wampum sash worth several thousand dollars—now resides on the canal’s bottom.
—Ben McGrath, The New Yorker, 3 July 2023
There is a really quite amazing scene when Civility and Satcheechoe take a string of wampum and wrap it around the Pennsylvania governor’s arm to symbolically pull him to Albany to meet with all the Native people who have become involved in this case.
—Karin Wulf, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Apr. 2021
See All Example Sentences for wampum
Dave Birnbaum, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
Elizabeth James-Perry and Erin Genia: Wampanoag and Dakota Adornment
James-Perry, honored this year with a National Heritage Fellowship by the National Endowment for the Arts, makes wampum jewelry, textiles, and maritime art directly tied to her Aquinnah Wampanoag tribal heritage.
—Lauren Daley, BostonGlobe.com, 25 July 2023
Some of their gear—a pair of shoes, a VHF radio, a wampum sash worth several thousand dollars—now resides on the canal’s bottom.
—Ben McGrath, The New Yorker, 3 July 2023
There is a really quite amazing scene when Civility and Satcheechoe take a string of wampum and wrap it around the Pennsylvania governor’s arm to symbolically pull him to Albany to meet with all the Native people who have become involved in this case.
—Karin Wulf, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Apr. 2021
See All Example Sentences for wampum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wampum
Noun
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Trump has vowed to spend his own money to pay for the ballroom, but the project has drawn criticism for its massive size.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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Opponents of Johnson’s added into the budget an expectation that the city would earn $6 million from the technology, though Johnson’s administration argued the city could not responsibly count on the money.—
Jake Sheridan,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Sun Pharma plans to fund the acquisition through a mix of internal cash and financing from banks.—
Baiju Kalesh,
Bloomberg,
27 Apr. 2026
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The irregular flow of cash will distort their financial reports and could deepen mistrust that the county has adequate guardrails to properly account for where taxpayers’ money is ending up.—
A.D. Quig,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In these kinds of experiments, participants are told to practice physical activities—finger tapping, coin tossing, dart throwing with a nondominant hand—within their dreams.—
Shayla Love,
New Yorker,
1 May 2026
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The coins were initially discovered by two metal detectorists in a field near the Norwegian city of Rena in the region of Østerdalen, according to the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage.—
Claire Cameron,
Scientific American,
1 May 2026
Noun
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Those who join now can use the code PCAMER26 by December 31, 2026, to earn up to 4,000 bonus Avios (Qatar Airways’s rewards currency) to use on upcoming flights, upgrades, and extra baggage allowances.—
Jamie Spain,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Apr. 2026
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The courts in the past have held — and usually not framed in terms of DEI policies; this was prior to that term gaining currency — but courts have been skeptical about giving the FCC authority over Equal Employment Opportunity policies as a basis for license decisions.—
Josef Adalian,
Vulture,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Thirty-six thousand fans on a school day, with San Diego gas at six bucks a gallon.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
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This small-space-friendly set costs under $100, but feels like a million bucks.—
Shea Simmons,
Southern Living,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The small donkeys can trace their lineage back to ancestors who were left behind by miners when there was no more gold to be found.—
Nina Ruggiero,
Travel + Leisure,
1 May 2026
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Nikki opted for a form-fitting black gown and gold jewelry, while Smith wore a classic black suit.—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wampum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wampum. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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