as in deans
the senior member of a group
the elder statesman of the White House correspondents is finally retiring after nearly a half century of service
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Recent Examples of elder statesmen
The Rangers need another strong campaign from the two elder statesmen on the starting staff.
—
Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas Morning News, 23 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
Yet the overriding feeling of Light-Years is of two elder statesmen who still have gifts to share.
—Mosi Reeves, Rolling Stone, 13 Dec. 2025
On a day when the last remaining Israeli hostages returned home after two years in captivity, and both Israelis and Palestinians celebrated the end of the Israel-Hamas war, many of America's elder statesmen and stateswomen kept mum.
—Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025
Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas Morning News, 23 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
Yet the overriding feeling of Light-Years is of two elder statesmen who still have gifts to share.
—Mosi Reeves, Rolling Stone, 13 Dec. 2025
On a day when the last remaining Israeli hostages returned home after two years in captivity, and both Israelis and Palestinians celebrated the end of the Israel-Hamas war, many of America's elder statesmen and stateswomen kept mum.
—Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elder statesmen
Noun
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But if the online tool cannot be turned back on safely, school officials will work with deans, department heads, and instructors regarding alternate ways to end the semester, sharing more information before noon Sunday.—
William Lee,
Chicago Tribune,
8 May 2026
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Possibly this was the case at élite law schools in the nineteen-nineties, where even the most obdurate deans could not afford to ignore their militant students indefinitely.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Noun
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Clemishire, along with her father, filed a $1 million defamation suit in Dallas County against Morris, his wife, Debbie, the church, its current and former elders and a church staff member.—
Giles Hudson,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
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But in an abrupt shift, a new poll released Monday finds young people’s confidence has plummeted over the past two years — while their elders remain more upbeat.—
Nicholas Riccardi,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
Noun
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The league’s 32 players come from a variety of places and levels of experience, ranging from Division I, II and III to the NBA G League and overseas veterans.—
Jason Beede,
Sun Sentinel,
16 May 2026
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Last year's polesitter was Robert Swartzman (who is not in IndyCar this year), but this change plays into the hands of Indy 500 veterans.—
Matt Reigle OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Elder statesmen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elder%20statesmen. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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