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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Richins declined to testify at the trial, where the prosecution painted her as a killer set on taking her husband's money.—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
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Iza held the victim at gunpoint and demanded the business partner transfer money to him — which the business partner did later that day, documents filed in Los Angeles federal court show.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
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If no one wins the jackpot, the cash prize will keep ticking up.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
15 Mar. 2026
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The appropriation, which came as part of the President’s domestic-spending bill, has kept ICE flush with cash during the shutdown.—
Jonathan Blitzer,
New Yorker,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The unlawful taking of items from a machine or device that is operated or activated by the use of coins.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
13 Mar. 2026
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The study’s first author is doctoral researcher Kevin Velasquez, who tested the coated cathodes using coin cells commonly used in low-power electronics such as watches and calculators.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
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This comes as rapid shifts in equities, currencies and commodities forced investors to unwind positions across global markets.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
18 Mar. 2026
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Violence in Iran Tens of thousands of Iranians protested in the streets after their currency crashed at the end of last year.—
Caitlin McGlade,
Charlotte Observer,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Kin, in contrast, bucks contemporary expectations by hewing to older ones.—
Lily Meyer,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
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At just 158 bucks under $40 Grand, this 2026 Subaru Crosstrek Sport Hybrid SUV might be the best buy on the automotive planet.—
Tony Leopardo,
Mercury News,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Inside, the vibe oozes understated cool in neutral shades of cream made interesting by pops of color and quirky art—a gold toilet sculpture here, a squiggly wall there.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
14 Mar. 2026
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The Democratic Republic of Congo opened its first gold refining facility, joining other African nations seeking to capture more of the mining supply chain.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wampum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wampum. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
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