old-timer

noun

ˈōl(d)-ˈtī-mər How to pronounce old-timer (audio)
Definition of old-timernext
1
as in elder
a person of advanced years a group of old-timers playing shuffleboard

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in veteran
a person with long experience in a specified area old-timers in the fishing industry couldn't remember a time when catches were so low

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 old-timer Cap Conover was an old-timer, having come from Wisconsin 20 years before to settle into a life of trapping on the river. — Anton Money, Outdoor Life, 4 June 2026 The old-timers try to stay in touch. — Miami Herald, 27 May 2026 For every grousing old-timer who felt that Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman was contaminating the genre came another who expressed sheer joy that such a show even existed. — Literary Hub, 18 May 2026 Some bargain hunters poked around, while a handful of old-timers walked the halls for exercise. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for old-timer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for old-timer
  1. elder
  2. veteran
  3. oldster
  4. adult
  5. geriatric
  6. ancient
Noun
  • If that doesn’t sound heady enough, Neon also has Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s All of a Sudden, a three-hour movie about the practical application of the Humanitude methodology in a French elder-care facility.
    — Nate Jones, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026
  • This could’ve been a story of seasoned elders welcoming a new voice into their fold.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of elder
Noun
  • Then Kreiz took the mallet and landed a cannon-shot ring on the bell that was so loud that one of the Citadel traders turned around in shock, and even Wall Street veteran Gerry Cardinale’s eyebrows were raised.
    — Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Seiber, 40, was a father of two and an Air Force veteran who served 10 years with the Philadelphia Police Department.
    — Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of veteran
Noun
  • Enough with the oldsters, what about those kids?
    — Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 4 June 2026
  • With each passing day, its oldster cast — including Alfred Molina, Alfre Woodard, and Geena Davis — is closer to the grave.
    — Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 31 May 2026
Definition of oldster
Noun
  • The Child Mind Institute notes that losing a close friendship can be emotionally painful for young people, and urges adults to take those experiences seriously rather than brushing them off.
    — Ashley Lynch, Sacbee.com, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Mitte was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at the age of 3 and, as an adult, served as an ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy and Shriners Children’s.
    — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of adult
Noun
  • The hospital complex in San Francisco was ranked top nationally in several specialties as well, including geriatrics, pulmonology — the treatment of respiratory conditions — and lung surgery.
    — Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The report rated hospital performance in 14 specialties or specialty areas, ranging from cancer to geriatrics to urology.
    — Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of geriatric
Noun
  • The exhibit features several dozen dinosaur animatronics that fully loom and roar, and a virtual aquarium stocked with swimming ancients.
    — Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 21 May 2026
  • Sitting alone among these ancients can be a profound experience.
    — Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Aug. 2025
Definition of ancient

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old-time
old-timer
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Cite this Entry

“Old-timer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/old-timer. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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