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
-
Justin Verlander — now the sport’s elder statesman — returns to the mound as a Tiger tonight.—
Levi Weaver,
New York Times,
30 Mar. 2026
-
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
Noun
-
In goal, the team has brought back veteran goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, who allowed just three goals in the three games in Qatar.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
12 June 2026
-
For veteran players like Megna, Keaton Middleton and Jacob MacDonald, this was 5-6 years of service with this organization in the making.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
Before serving as president of the University of Alabama, Bell served as provost and professor of engineering at Louisiana State University and as dean of the School of Engineering and professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Kansas.—
Ana Goñi-Lessan,
Sun Sentinel,
10 June 2026
-
The religious studies department is home to eight faculty members, said Sahara Byrne, dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.—
Elizabeth Hernandez,
Denver Post,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
Appleberry was arraigned May 27 in Placer Superior Court, charged with causing injury to an elder or dependent adult, battery causing serious bodily injury, assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury and battery against an emergency worker.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
8 June 2026
-
Sensing this once-great dynasty is in decline, the outback’s most powerful factions — rival cattle barons, desert gangsters, Indigenous elders, and billionaire miners — move in for the kill, with billions of dollars at stake.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“éminence grise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/%C3%A9minence%20grise. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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