old guard

noun

variants or less commonly Old Guard
Synonyms of old guardnext
1
: the conservative and especially older members of an organization (such as a political party)
2
: a group of established prestige and influence

compare new guard

Examples of old guard in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
But inevitably, the money became too big to pass up, and some of the NFL old guard bought in. Jasper Craven, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026 The 24-year-old guard is the Wolves’ lightning bolt, the man capable of supercharging the team performance and reversing the current rough course Minnesota is charting. Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 23 Jan. 2026 As for DeMar DeRozan, while he has been cited as a possible replacement In the wake of the Warriors losing Jimmy Butler for the season with a torn ACL on Monday night, a Kings source indicated the Warriors have shown no interest in the 36-year-old guard. Sam Amick, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2026 His victory was hailed as a seismic rewriting of the status quo in Chicago politics, but his administration’s setbacks since assuming office have emboldened the political old guard to argue that time’s up for the progressive experiment on the fifth floor of City Hall. Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 18 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for old guard

Word History

First Known Use

1841, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of old guard was in 1841

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Cite this Entry

“Old guard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/old%20guard. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.

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