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
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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
-
Is intuitive budgeting effective for saving money?—
Andreina Rodriguez,
CNBC,
1 Oct. 2025
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With less money being invested by record labels into touring, that has created a top-heavy artist hierarchy, with the rich getting richer and the poor and middle class falling by the wayside.—
Roy Trakin,
Rolling Stone,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
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For instance, if both people are eligible but one earned more, collect the lower amount first to have some cash.—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
5 Oct. 2025
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From dishes like cast-iron live Maine lobster to a 32-ounce Creekstone Farms American Wagyu Tomahawk ribeye, this is a restaurant where you'd better be prepared to drop some cash.—
Rosalind Bowling,
Nashville Tennessean,
5 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF began in 1950, when a group of Philadelphia children collected coins in milk cartons to help other kids affected by war.—
Brittany Talarico,
PEOPLE,
2 Oct. 2025
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Harrison and his team have a variety of special items at the store, ranging from centuries-old coins to one-of-a-kind memorabilia.—
Ashley J. DiMella,
FOXNews.com,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Once again, in adopting a currency board, a country keeps its own currency and central bank.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
8 Oct. 2025
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Memory is the last real currency.—
Sudhir Gupta,
Rolling Stone,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Democrats’ most visible strategy appears to be trying to bum a few bucks from the grassroots—when the grassroots’ greatest power is in protest, boycott, and other unified mobilization efforts.—
Sarah Stankorb,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
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Overall, the ComMarker Omni X is one slick beast of a UV laser engraver for professionals that run trophy or custom engraving shops down to the regular ol' Joe Schmoe who's got a few bucks to spare ($4,599 of them, to be specific) and really likes to laser-engrave things.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
28 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Friday night brings their first preseason matchup as the purple and gold take on the Phoenix Suns.—
Matthew Couden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Oct. 2025
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For example, swapping silver and white for gold and brass is one way of easily bringing in warm fall tones.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wampum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wampum. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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