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
Todd Spangler, Variety, 30 Sep. 2024
Jeremy Strong Ice-Bucket Challenge A special award for the erstwhile eldest boy, whose starring role in An Enemy of the People involves getting a bucket of real ice dumped on top of him at every performance.
—Madeline Leung Coleman, Vulture, 4 May 2024
Quartz Africa, 4 Apr. 2020
See all Example Sentences for erstwhile 
Adjective
Newsweek: The Washington Post Co. sold the erstwhile newsweekly print powerhouse in 2010 to audio mogul Sidney Harman for $1 and assumption of its liabilities.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 30 Sep. 2024
Jeremy Strong Ice-Bucket Challenge A special award for the erstwhile eldest boy, whose starring role in An Enemy of the People involves getting a bucket of real ice dumped on top of him at every performance.
—Madeline Leung Coleman, Vulture, 4 May 2024
Adverb
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
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In the face of bipartisan opposition, one of Trump’s most controversial picks—former Congressman Max Gaetz—withdrew from consideration to be attorney general.Edward Segal, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024
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Its most recent post was shared at 12:42 a.m. EST Nov. 6 and shows a video of former Louisiana Rep. Cedric Richmond speaking at Howard University and calling for patience during the vote-tabulation process.Joedy McCreary, USA TODAY, 3 Dec. 2024
Adverb
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Reach Joey Garrison on X, formerly Twitter, @joeygarrison.Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 6 Dec. 2024
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Gill, who gained fame by helping to start the meme-stock frenzy involving AMC and GameStop, posted to his 1.6 million followers on X, formerly Twitter, a version of Time magazine’s 2006 Person of the Year cover.Dade Hayes, Deadline, 6 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The show skips across the decades, dramatizing the interviews an older Dolours (Maxine Peake) did for a Boston College oral history of the Troubles, which were taped with the promise that they would be released only after participants’ deaths.Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 19 Nov. 2024
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By contrast, the prospect of citizenships and alliances—and perhaps conquests or crusades—structured around the opinions, beliefs, and subjective identities of ordinary people in times of peace would require a new (or very old) conception of empire.Henry A. Kissinger, Foreign Affairs, 18 Nov. 2024
Adverb
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Newsweek will of course be back once again with another round of hints and tips.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 1 Dec. 2024
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There was a first-cousin match on the paternal line, and a first cousin once removed on the maternal line.Sarah Weinman, Rolling Stone, 1 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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According to the outlet, HMRC began investigating Grint's 2012 tax return in 2019, and alleged at the time that the actor had wrongly classified £4.5 million in income from Harry Potter DVD sales, TV syndication, streaming rights and other sources in an attempt to pay a lower tax rate.Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 2 Dec. 2024
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Outside of snacking, Stasher bags also make a leakproof toiletry bag in a pinch and can even be used to safely store jewelry, medications, and other tiny travel essentials.Carin Ryan, Travel + Leisure, 2 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Erstwhile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/erstwhile. Accessed 10 Dec. 2024.
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