greenback

noun

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

Examples of greenback in a Sentence

she threw a few greenbacks on the counter to pay for the drinks
Recent Examples on the Web The yen has fallen more than 6% against the US dollar so far this year, after losing about 8% against the greenback in 2023. Laura He, CNN, 21 Feb. 2024 The greenback is headed for its sixth straight session of losses on Thursday, which would be its longest losing streak since October, as measured by the WSJ Dollar index. Caitlin McCabe, WSJ, 28 Dec. 2023 But as Argentina considers adopting it as its official currency, the drawbacks of depending on the greenback are also coming into sharp relief. Whitney Eulich, The Christian Science Monitor, 8 Dec. 2023 The greenback was heading for its eighth-straight week of gains against a basket of other major currencies on Friday, its best run since winter 2014-2015. Bryan Mena, CNN, 10 Sep. 2023 The greenback is on track to fall for a sixth consecutive session Thursday, putting the WSJ Dollar index at its weakest level since July. WSJ, 28 Dec. 2023 The greenback is benefiting from expectations that U.S. interest rates could remain higher for longer. Karen Langley, WSJ, 29 Sep. 2023 The benchmark index started the day higher but capitulated by midmorning as regional markets interpreted overnight FOMC messaging to mean rate cuts are highly likely in the new year, strengthening most Asian currencies against the greenback. WSJ, 14 Dec. 2023 Some commercial lenders followed suit in offloading the greenback, helping to trigger a rebound in the Chinese currency, said the traders, who asked not to be named. Bloomberg, Fortune, 5 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'greenback.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1862, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of greenback was in 1862

Dictionary Entries Near greenback

Cite this Entry

“Greenback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/greenback. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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
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