as in former
having been such at some previous time
my erstwhile friend ignored me when I ran into her at the reunion
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Recent Examples of erstwhile
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Her father is musician and writer David Turin, an erstwhile editor of mine some three decades ago.
—Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 14 Apr. 2026
Dan Schlossberg, Forbes.com, 18 Feb. 2026
Candidates for the fifth spot include former postseason hero Ian Anderson, erstwhile All-Star Bryce Elder, and rookies AJ Smith-Shawver and Hurston Waldrep.
After winning a surprise world championship in 2021, the Braves had two 100-win seasons without reaching the final round again.
—Dan Schlossberg, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for erstwhile
Adjective
With input from food historian Pushpesh Pant, chef Vijay Sahi has designed three tasting menus that reimagine the culinary whims of the erstwhile royals from across India.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Her father is musician and writer David Turin, an erstwhile editor of mine some three decades ago.
—Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 14 Apr. 2026
Adverb
That places an extra burden on holdovers Chris Sale, Spencer Strider, and Reynaldo Lopez, erstwhile All-Stars who had their own injury issues last year.
—Dan Schlossberg, Forbes.com, 18 Feb. 2026
Candidates for the fifth spot include former postseason hero Ian Anderson, erstwhile All-Star Bryce Elder, and rookies AJ Smith-Shawver and Hurston Waldrep.
After winning a surprise world championship in 2021, the Braves had two 100-win seasons without reaching the final round again.
—Dan Schlossberg, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for erstwhile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for erstwhile
Adjective
-
Collins easily beat former football coach Derek Dooley, according to unofficial election results.—
Tia Mitchell,
AJC.com,
17 June 2026
-
This often meant that European nations recruited talented footballers from their former colonies to stop them from playing elsewhere.—
Simon Hughes,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
Adverb
-
These small towns formerly relied on coal mining, steelworks and manufacturing for work, local historian Peter Fleetwood tells CNN.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
-
The American South will have a new and expanded museum to visit come December 6, when Tennessee’s Memphis Art Museum (formerly the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art) reopens.—
Brian Boucher,
ARTnews.com,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
The 2-year-old has not been identified as of Tuesday night.—
Michael Guise,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
-
Investigators also cited writings allegedly authored by Proper, the youngest member of the group at 19 years old.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
17 June 2026
Adverb
-
Evidence of that is starting forward Mikel Oyarzabal becoming the first player on record since the 1966 tournament to fail to touch the ball once in the first 30 minutes against the Blue Sharks, according to Opta Stats.—
Patrick Sung Cuadrado,
CNN Money,
21 June 2026
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And in perhaps the least surprising but still funny news of all, Zach Braff is on the Directing for a Comedy Series ballot three times, once each for the Bill Lawrence trifecta Scrubs, Shrinking, and Rooster.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
20 June 2026
Adjective
-
Under California law, police agencies are generally required to release to the public audio and video recordings of police shootings and other critical incidents involving great bodily injury within 45 days of the incident.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
16 June 2026
-
There are other awards given to restaurants and the hospitality industry but the James Beard Foundation, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary, puts a premium on discovery and on American cuisine.—
Jeanne Bonner,
CNN Money,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Erstwhile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/erstwhile. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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