as in elder statesman
the senior member of a group
the revered éminence grise of Civil War historians
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Recent Examples of éminence grise
But none have matched JPMorgan, which, under the leadership of Wall Street’s eminence grise Jamie Dimon, has thrived.
—
Paolo Confino, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2024
Belafonte was 57, an eminence grise in entertainment, and his participation motivated lots of artists who admired him.
—Rob Tannenbaum, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2024
Federer serving in the Sinatra/Clooney part as the eminence grise.
—Jason Gay, WSJ, 24 Sep. 2022
That emotionally astute author, the eminence grise, the institutional memory.
—Washington Post, 29 Dec. 2021
Matthews is an eminence grise of television news, his pugilistic and red-cheeked persona familiar to viewers from countless election nights.
—BostonGlobe.com, 2 Mar. 2020
In the world of the candle obsessed, Diptyque is the eminence grise.
—Kathleen Hou, The Cut, 16 Jan. 2018
Paolo Confino, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2024
Belafonte was 57, an eminence grise in entertainment, and his participation motivated lots of artists who admired him.
—Rob Tannenbaum, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2024
Federer serving in the Sinatra/Clooney part as the eminence grise.
—Jason Gay, WSJ, 24 Sep. 2022
That emotionally astute author, the eminence grise, the institutional memory.
—Washington Post, 29 Dec. 2021
Matthews is an eminence grise of television news, his pugilistic and red-cheeked persona familiar to viewers from countless election nights.
—BostonGlobe.com, 2 Mar. 2020
In the world of the candle obsessed, Diptyque is the eminence grise.
—Kathleen Hou, The Cut, 16 Jan. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for éminence grise
Noun
-
The franchise’s elder statesmen understand that Jokic is an inextricable aspect of any conversation about Murray’s developing legacy.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Boasting 14 years of NBA experience, Middleton joins Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, Dwight Powell and Jones as Dallas’ elder statesmen.—
Mike Curtis,
Dallas Morning News,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Hawks general manager Kyle Davidson was again able to negotiate a higher-than-expected return for one of his veterans, the other being a 2028 second-round draft pick for defenseman Connor Murphy.—
Kalen Lumpkins,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Mar. 2026
-
A day after landing veteran defenseman Tyler Myers, the Stars added some scoring depth in a deal with Nashville for Michael Bunting.—
SportsDay Staff,
Dallas Morning News,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Pageants, deans' lists, graduations or military enlistments are not accepted.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Susan Murin, dean of the UC Davis School of Medicine, said the projects these students are working on could one day help save lives.—
James Taylor,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The blockaders, led by a charismatic Pacheedaht elder named Bill Jones, had built little utopian encampments throughout the forest, drawing people from all over Canada.—
Robert Moor,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Born in India, Khot came to the United States 30 years ago with his parents, who emphasized education and respect for elders.—
Robert McCoppin,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“éminence grise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/%C3%A9minence%20grise. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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