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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of erstwhile
Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 14 Apr. 2026
These deals – most recently Brea’s — enrage Norby, the erstwhile former assemblyman.
—Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 10 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
Her father is musician and writer David Turin, an erstwhile editor of mine some three decades ago.
—Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 14 Apr. 2026
These deals – most recently Brea’s — enrage Norby, the erstwhile former assemblyman.
—Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 10 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
-
López was one of the fiercest critics of then-Mayor Fúnez, a supporter of the mine and close ally of Honduras’ former president, Xiomara Castro.—
Marlon González,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
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Following the deaths last week of two franchise icons, Braves fans gathered Tuesday night at Truist Park to honor the lives of former manager Bobby Cox and former owner Ted Turner at the team’s game against the Chicago Cubs.—
Ken Sugiura,
AJC.com,
13 May 2026
Adverb
-
In Ho Chi Minh City — formerly Saigon — the Viet Cong celebrated its takeover.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
7 May 2026
-
Tuchman formerly led the ADL’s Center on Extremism, the group behind the annual audit, and now is director of the Nexus Center for Antisemitism at the Nexus Project, a watchdog group that promotes a more nuanced definition of antisemitism than the ADL uses.—
David Crary,
Fortune,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
Most of them were spent on the third defensive pairing, and then the 22-year-old was scratched for Tyson Hinds late in the year as Quenneville favored the size of Hinds, who spent most of his season in the American Hockey League.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
-
Now imagine moving millions of items, each of them delicate, unique, priceless and old.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
Adverb
-
In another classic tasting-menu move, the menu arrives after the meal, a map to study only once the journey is complete.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
10 May 2026
-
Renegotiating a bill, solving a household issue, or committing to a longer-range plan may bring relief and momentum at once.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
10 May 2026
Adjective
-
Like other pools in China, swimmers will need to don a swim cap to take a dip.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 May 2026
-
In other words, the surface numbers and the eye test are matching the analytics in Chisholm’s case.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Erstwhile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/erstwhile. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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