pawn
verb (used with object)
to deposit as security, as for money borrowed, especially with a pawnbroker.
have pawned
-
present perfectof pawn.present perfect
Used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into or have direct relevance to the present.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She could have pawned or sold things but certain things she kept for herself.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
“I have pawned my jewelry to help keep our doors open,” she later told the Star.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 31, 2021
“Seeking a life, we have pawned our lives,” Ponna says.
From New York Times ● Oct. 16, 2018
Some of those who remain have pawned their gold, a traditional last resort, to cover their living expenses.
From New York Times ● May 2, 2016
Thanks to this benevolent decree, you may now hope that things you have pawned will be restored to you before three or four hundred days!
From Paris under the Commune The Seventy-Three Days of the Second Siege; with Numerous Illustrations, Sketches Taken on the Spot, and Portraits (from the Original Photographs) by John Leighton
