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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of erstwhile
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Her father is musician and writer David Turin, an erstwhile editor of mine some three decades ago.
—Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 14 Apr. 2026
Dan Schlossberg, Forbes.com, 18 Feb. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for erstwhile
Adjective
With input from food historian Pushpesh Pant, chef Vijay Sahi has designed three tasting menus that reimagine the culinary whims of the erstwhile royals from across India.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Her father is musician and writer David Turin, an erstwhile editor of mine some three decades ago.
—Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 14 Apr. 2026
Adverb
That places an extra burden on holdovers Chris Sale, Spencer Strider, and Reynaldo Lopez, erstwhile All-Stars who had their own injury issues last year.
—Dan Schlossberg, Forbes.com, 18 Feb. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for erstwhile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for erstwhile
Adjective
-
Collins easily beat former football coach Derek Dooley, according to unofficial election results.—
Tia Mitchell,
AJC.com,
17 June 2026
-
This often meant that European nations recruited talented footballers from their former colonies to stop them from playing elsewhere.—
Simon Hughes,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
Adverb
-
Sofia Montrone is as an adjunct assistant professor in Columbia’s undergraduate writing program, and formerly served as editor-in-chief of The Columbia Review and the director of Columbia Artist/Teachers.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
-
Lucy is searching for her father Hank (MacLachlan) in order to bring him to justice, while The Ghoul, formerly known as movie star Cooper Howard, is on a search for clues about his pre-apocalypse life and what happened to his wife and daughter after the blasts.—
The Deadline Team,
Deadline,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
The 27-year-old remembered a father who loved to take his children on road trips but also urged them to always think about los demás — the others.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
17 June 2026
-
On Tuesday, Emeryville police announced the body had been identified as 30-year-old Marcus Moore.—
Jose Fabian,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
Adverb
-
Ticket sizes that once averaged $75 million quickly scaled to the hundreds of millions, and the market now routinely supports billion-dollar deals, said Acito.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
9 Dec. 2025
-
The Angels began the final week of testimony in the Tyler Skaggs wrongful death lawsuit by once again questioning the plaintiffs regarding Skaggs’ drug use.—
Sam Blum,
New York Times,
9 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
How to keep disease-carrying ticks at bay The best way to avoid ticks and tick bites is to be vigilant in your surroundings, Foley said, noting that ticks can transmit other diseases such as Lyme disease.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
16 June 2026
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In other words, the current combination of US political tensions and global conflicts are driving more US nationals to seek new options overseas.—
Jessica Puckett,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Erstwhile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/erstwhile. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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