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
Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 20 Aug. 2025
That includes Anyone but Mamdani, a PAC recently formed by Bo Dietl, an ex-NYPD detective and erstwhile friend of Mayor Adams.
—Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 19 Aug. 2025
Dan Schlossberg, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
In South Africa’s middle class suburban areas, including Randburg, where there’s more visible policing, lockdown measures are being tightly enforced, leaving several erstwhile busy stalls and shopping areas empty.
—Quartz Africa, 4 Apr. 2020
See All Example Sentences for erstwhile
Adjective
But now, with another tough contract negotiation on the horizon, SAG-AFTRA is going to have to push forward without its erstwhile leader from Queens.
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 20 Aug. 2025
That includes Anyone but Mamdani, a PAC recently formed by Bo Dietl, an ex-NYPD detective and erstwhile friend of Mayor Adams.
—Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 19 Aug. 2025
Adverb
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
In South Africa’s middle class suburban areas, including Randburg, where there’s more visible policing, lockdown measures are being tightly enforced, leaving several erstwhile busy stalls and shopping areas empty.
—Quartz Africa, 4 Apr. 2020
See All Example Sentences for erstwhile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for erstwhile
Adjective
-
Matthew Doyle, a former adviser to Starmer, described the visit as a strategic blend of ceremony and diplomacy.—
Amanda Castro
Hannah Parry
Shane Croucher
Jack Royston,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
-
Cruz’s rebuttal didn’t touch on Carlson’s claims of frustration with Netanyahu, which former congressman Matt Gaetz said are largely true based on his relationship with Kirk.—
Robert Schmad,
The Washington Examiner,
18 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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This stands in sharp contrast to struggling sectors like multifamily, which are contending with softening rents and oversupply in formerly high-growth markets.—
Andrew DeNardo,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Fruitist, founded in 2012 and formerly known as Agrovision, launched its first consumer products in 2020, recently surpassed $400 million in annual sales, and reached a valuation above $1 billion.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Smith replied that private schools must submit renewal packets every year before they are approved to continue participation in the accounts program, and that the agency compares the new tuition rates against the older rates.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Sep. 2025
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The reversal marks just one example of how Trump is rewriting Republicans’ decades-old playbook on countering Beijing’s influence in the United States and abroad.—
Christian Datoc,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
And then, inside the museum hangs a mobile by the most famous Calder of all, Alexander Calder, its white disks floating—at once ethereal and pronounced—against the sandy-colored stone columns of the Great Stair Hall.—
Chloe Schama,
Vogue,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Start with once daily, and if your skin can handle it, gradually increase to two or three times per week.—
Lily Wohlner,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Grassley and other Republicans argue that by the time Smith formally inherited the case, the groundwork had already been laid for a wide-ranging operation that effectively criminalized political opposition.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
18 Sep. 2025
-
This is done through simple ultrasounds and other imaging technology.—
Lauren Giella,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Erstwhile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/erstwhile. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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