totems

noun

plural of totem
as in symbols
a device, design, or figure used as an identifying mark the bald eagle, that universally recognized totem of our country

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 totems There’s Thresholds of India, which stars 6,000 historical artifacts like Nagaland wooden totems, Kerala masks, and Gujarati architectural motifs to name just a few. — Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Oct. 2026 What remained were totems and symbols that were somehow infused with nobility. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026 Each character is obscenely wealthy and politically influential, and both have important totems that are meant to express an ineluctable truth about them. — Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2026 The Keeper collar, one of the brand’s bestsellers, can be reconfigured with different totems and tassels, while Moubayed expects the Totem chain to be another strong performer. — Thomas Waller, Footwear News, 15 Sep. 2026 If the likes of Richter, Immendorff, and Polke were established totems of German art when Koether was starting out, there were also younger figures in the limelight. — Barry Schwabsky, ARTnews.com, 8 Sep. 2026 Making the film made Wishnow rethink what the function of a critic is, especially in how Christgau describes what the two core totems of criticism are. — Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Sep. 2026 The excessive proliferation of totems and masks as decor is more closely associated with Beachcomber offshoots and descendants in the ’50s and ’60s. — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026 As a result, his compositions have become strange totems of the internet, like global ringtones. — Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 30 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for totems
  1. symbols
  2. emblems
  3. trademarks
Noun
  • Wild life patterning featured throughout the dress, with a particular emphasis on feathers that almost seemed reminiscent of the butterfly symbols Dolly Parton embraced all her life.
    — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Many were peaceful but some 1,500 shops and many symbols of the state were vandalized, leading to more than 2,000 arrests.
    — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of symbols
Noun
  • There is little in the way of cinematic inspiration, and the emphatic visual style with which the filmmakers aim to enliven the story life tends to turn characters into pristine emblems, albeit adorned with a few picturesque behavioral touches.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 15 Oct. 2026
  • It’s paired with Frame’s signature Ritz Cigarette, a low-rise, slim silhouette in a dark indigo wash, finished with pocket embroidery and a removable gold charm keepsake chain featuring hotel emblems.
    — Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of emblems
Noun
  • Officers at Indianapolis’ express consignment facility also intercepted 96 counterfeit watches bearing Swatch, Audemars Piguet and Rolex trademarks on July 30.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The family currently holds more than 50 active trademarks for skin and hair care brands.
    — Monika Evstatieva, NPR, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of trademarks

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Cite this Entry

“Totems.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/totems. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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