as in former
having been such at some previous time
my erstwhile friend ignored me when I ran into her at the reunion
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of erstwhile
Kathryn Schulz, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024
The erstwhile sitcom king also is up for Worst Actor.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 21 Jan. 2025
Dan Schlossberg, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
In South Africa’s middle class suburban areas, including Randburg, where there’s more visible policing, lockdown measures are being tightly enforced, leaving several erstwhile busy stalls and shopping areas empty.
—Quartz Africa, 4 Apr. 2020
See All Example Sentences for erstwhile
Adjective
Good data are hard to come by, but estimates suggest that almost a quarter of pet owners who die alone will be partly consumed by their erstwhile animal companions.
—Kathryn Schulz, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024
The erstwhile sitcom king also is up for Worst Actor.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 21 Jan. 2025
Adverb
Candidates for the fifth spot include former postseason hero Ian Anderson, erstwhile All-Star Bryce Elder, and rookies AJ Smith-Shawver and Hurston Waldrep.
After winning a surprise world championship in 2021, the Braves had two 100-win seasons without reaching the final round again.
—Dan Schlossberg, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
In South Africa’s middle class suburban areas, including Randburg, where there’s more visible policing, lockdown measures are being tightly enforced, leaving several erstwhile busy stalls and shopping areas empty.
—Quartz Africa, 4 Apr. 2020
See All Example Sentences for erstwhile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for erstwhile
Adjective
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Robert De Niro stars as former U.S. President George Mullen, who is pulled out of retirement to head the Zero Day Commission, a group of experts tasked with investigating the cyberattack.—
Dana Feldman,
Forbes,
20 Feb. 2025
-
When former President Joe Biden assumed office in March 2021, another round of relief checks totaling $1,400 was sent out.—
Samantha Delouya,
CNN,
20 Feb. 2025
Adverb
-
Lovers Lane was one of the first stops and has the most fantastic assortment of Christian Dior, Rabanne (formerly Paco), and other rare and not-so-known designers.—
Vogue,
Vogue,
22 Feb. 2025
-
Billionaire Elon Musk, who owns X, formerly Twitter and is leading Trump's cost-cutting program, has vowed to destroy the CFPB as part of a broad purge of the federal labor force.—
Adam Smith,
USA TODAY,
22 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Sam Nivola as Lochlan Ratliff: The high school senior, Timothy and Victoria's youngest, is pulled between following the life path of his older sister and brother while deciding his major life decision: Whether to go to Duke or the University of North Carolina.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA TODAY,
18 Feb. 2025
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Now Sarah Snook, the Australian actor who played Shiv Roy — older sister to Kieran Culkin’s Roman — makes her Broadway debut in Kip Williams’s intricately high-tech retelling of Oscar Wilde’s classic novel.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
17 Feb. 2025
Adverb
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Billionaires who once lived in New Jersey David Duffield has a net worth of $14.4 billion and is at No. 158.—
Lucas Frau,
USA TODAY,
18 Feb. 2025
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During the testing period, this coverlet was washed once in warm water with standard soap and dried on the delicate cycle to full dryness.—
Rebecca Jones,
Southern Living,
17 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Eley and other local residents slipped past the police officers trying to quell tensions and grabbed a flag from the fleeing demonstrators, stomping on it and ultimately setting it aflame.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA TODAY,
18 Feb. 2025
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She was identified as a person of interest in other murders as well, including the murder of Curtis Lind, a landlord in Vallejo, California, who was stabbed to death three days before the Vermont shooting.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
18 Feb. 2025
Articles Related to erstwhile
Cite this Entry
“Erstwhile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/erstwhile. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.
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