greenback

noun

green·​back ˈgrēn-ˌbak How to pronounce greenback (audio)
Synonyms of greenbacknext
: a legal-tender note issued by the U.S. government

Synonyms of greenback

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of greenback in a Sentence

she threw a few greenbacks on the counter to pay for the drinks
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Despite broad dollar strength, the yuan has been Asia's only currency to appreciate against the greenback this year. — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 27 July 2026 Back in the mid-1980s, the dollar’s strength against other major currencies triggered a crisis that had Washington reducing the value of the greenback, a key factor that led to the stock market crash in 1987. — Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026 The dollar’s valuation says little about dollar hegemony Executives and investors around the world have good reason to care about the greenback’s value as their revenues, assets, liabilities, and competitiveness often depend on it. — Philipp Carlsson-Szlezak, Fortune, 17 July 2026 Because gold is sold globally in dollars, a strong greenback makes gold more expensive for international buyers and decreases demand. — Faith Wakefield, USA Today, 29 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for greenback

Word History

First Known Use

1862, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of greenback was in 1862

Rhymes for greenback

See All Rhymes for greenback

Browse Nearby Words

Greenaway
greenback
green-backed goldfinch
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Greenback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/greenback. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

greenback

noun
green·​back ˈgrēn-ˌbak How to pronounce greenback (audio)
: a piece of U.S. paper money
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All