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
-
Much of the heart and comedy in the film comes from the dynamic between Williamson and McDonough, as the two elder statesmen reunite for the bull riding event against significantly younger competition.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 May 2025
-
Sony Pictures unveiled its restructuring of its senior film leadership ranks under motion pictures chief Tom Rothman, who ranks as the unrivaled elder statesman of studio leaders in this turbulent moment for Hollywood.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
30 July 2025
Noun
-
On the other side of the barn were a pack of mostly three-year State Fair showmanship veterans: 16-year-old Sara Braun, 14-year-old Emma Crave, 17-year-old Ava Gutzdorf and 18-year-old Mara Skalitzky.—
Liliana Fannin,
jsonline.com,
7 Aug. 2025
-
Co-founder Theo Dumont has enlisted industry veteran Jeff Pryor as strategic advisor for the Dubai launch.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
7 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Honoree Fleming, a retired college dean, was shot dead in October 2023 while walking near her favorite trail near the Vermont State University campus in Castleton, Vt., the Associated Press reported at the time.—
NWA Democrat-Gazette,
Arkansas Online,
8 Aug. 2025
-
Blake Fabrikant has seen the benefits of phone-free schools as the dean of students at The Sharon Academy, a small independent high school in Sharon, Vt.—
Charlotte Alter,
Time,
4 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Since her freshman year, Elizabeth has been visiting a local hospice—playing piano for elders, going on walks with them, and learning about their lives.—
Joshua Bennett,
The Atlantic,
15 Aug. 2025
-
These companies have even been caught intentionally selling scammers data belonging to elders (who, unsurprisingly, later fell victim to elder fraud).—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
13 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“éminence grise.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/%C3%A9minence%20grise. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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