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
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
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
See All Example Sentences for wampum
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
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
See All Example Sentences for wampum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wampum
Noun
-
The White House has repeatedly withheld money previously appropriated by Congress, with minimal pushback from GOP lawmakers.—
Ramsey Touchberry,
The Washington Examiner,
11 Sep. 2025
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My mom came from bad financial circumstances and you get used to (the money) and there was a stature to it.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The associate handed each worker a stack of cash.—
ProPublica,
ProPublica,
13 Sep. 2025
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Despite having a reputation for being at the cutting-edge of technological trends, cash is king in Japan.—
Caroline Reid,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Such coins are popular in the national security community as tokens of appreciation, but this one was much larger than usual.—
Carrie Johnson,
NPR,
10 Sep. 2025
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Letters from nobles and tavern menus are presented as handouts and players keep track of their treasure with little punch out gold coins.—
Rob Wieland,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The Chinese yuan's recent rally against the greenback may still have room to run as Beijing guides the currency higher and is seen as favoring holding off on the next rate cut.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
16 Sep. 2025
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Visa, for example, supports USDC, EuroC, USDG and PYUSD as settlement currencies on its network across four different blockchains, seven days a week.—
Aaron Stanley,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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CarGurus Intelligence Report Average new vehicle prices rose only about a hundred bucks between July and August from $49,400 to $49,500, according the Car Gurus August 2025 Intelligence Report released Thursday.—
Ed Garsten,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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And a kid down the street sold me his brother’s bass for 10 bucks.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Note the rose gold surrounds of the analog-style gauges.—
Mark Ewing,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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Made up of eight pieces, the high jewelry capsule’s designs are crafted from 18-karat ethical gold, aligning with Chopard’s Journey to Sustainable Luxury initiative unveiled in 2018.—
Thomas Waller,
Footwear News,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wampum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wampum. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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