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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of wampum
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
Not only were these beads a coveted status symbol, but the powerful Mohawk of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy (or Five Nations Iroquois) of what is now upstate New York, raided coastal peoples who did not furnish wampum for Haudenosaunee rituals.
—National Geographic, 19 Nov. 2020
Many of his pieces are horizontal, recalling the forms of early panoramic art and the woven wampum belts that are a cultural touchstone of his people.
—New York Times, 4 Oct. 2021
See All Example Sentences for wampum
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
Not only were these beads a coveted status symbol, but the powerful Mohawk of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy (or Five Nations Iroquois) of what is now upstate New York, raided coastal peoples who did not furnish wampum for Haudenosaunee rituals.
—National Geographic, 19 Nov. 2020
Many of his pieces are horizontal, recalling the forms of early panoramic art and the woven wampum belts that are a cultural touchstone of his people.
—New York Times, 4 Oct. 2021
See All Example Sentences for wampum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wampum
Noun
-
As far as the luxury tax is concerned, deferred money is discounted annually during the term of the contract.—
Barry M. Bloom,
Sportico.com,
1 July 2025
-
In October, the project got a boost when the Department of Transportation under President Joe Biden approved Miami-Dade for $389 million toward the Northeast Corridor, money requiring congressional approval that’s still pending.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
1 July 2025
Noun
-
Members also get Walmart cash rebates on travel services.—
Pamela N. Danziger,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
-
To model what this distribution — which will begin when the first baby bonds recipients turn 18 in 2041 — will look like, the cash catalyst program will also focus on giving money to people between the ages of 18 and 30.—
P.R. Lockhart,
Hartford Courant,
27 June 2025
Noun
-
The interactive cash register uses a toy credit card, coins, a scanner, and a number pad to teach everything from shopping phrases to food, numbers, and songs.—
Chaunie Brusie,
Parents,
27 June 2025
-
Before 1985, the team picking first overall had been determined through a coin flip between the worst teams in each conference.—
Lev Akabas,
Sportico.com,
25 June 2025
Noun
-
For short-form content, several episodes are usually available for free, while further episodes require a subscription or for audiences to use in-platform or in-app currency to unlock new episodes.—
Sara Merican,
Deadline,
26 June 2025
-
Last week, the Senate approved the stablecoin bill, establishing a framework to regulate these digital currencies that are linked to the U.S. dollar.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
Noun
-
Buying a mouth full of golds with the first check from your part-time job (if not earnings from the dope hole) was the goal of kids in my orbit.—
Andre Gee,
Rolling Stone,
23 June 2025
-
Most of my clients have about 6% of their money in SPDR Gold Share ETF (GLD), which represents a share in a large pool of physical gold.—
John Dorfman,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wampum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wampum. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share